Son thinks we're poor-need advice

[wow]

when I joined the USMC I thought I was rich. 304 a month, I had 2 pairs of boots, 1 pair of dress shoes, tennis shoes. Was fed 3 meals a day and more clothes than ever.
My daughter stands to be a very rich young lady. She is in college 15 hours a semester and works 30 hrs a week. Maybe she will appreciate it.

[the-butcher]

Agreed. Volunteer serving food at a homeless shelter or distributing food at a food bank.

This^^^ not just a one time deal either.He will figure out that he doaent have it so bad.

[db@100]

Tell him "yep, we are poor and if you don't make good grades and get a good education, you will be poor too".

[Be10dwn]

This is a learning opportunity. I sat my 15 year old down and showed him what we have coming in, and what we have going out. Why just say some of the stuff on here, when you can teach him how it works? That and show him people that have it worse off is a good combination. Just saying oh yeah well some people have it worse than you doesn't teach him anything.

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[Death from Above]

What's wrong with being poor?

If you got change in your pocket you are in the top 10% of wealthiest people in the world.

Great teachable moment dad.

[Jeremy]

I think serving others is what it will take to help him understand. It may be me getting old but isnt poor/rich in the eye of the beholder? As many others that didnt grow up rich and heck Im still not. I never felt poor or middle class. Many that are rich never are happy and many that are very poor feel like they have everything.

Like some others have said I believe this stemmed from kids teasing him about mom's car or something else he doesnt have that his friends have.

He doesnt need to be punished or scolded. He isnt a "spoiled brat" or anything close. He is a kid that is growing and this is a teaching moment. Serving others is a great thing. Operation Christmas Child is a great project. Can be done with the family and doesnt cost hardly anything to do.

[Cold 1]

Man up and tell him to get over it. Tell him this is what you work harder for to avoid in life. Be happy for what you have. I know everyone wants better for their kids but they don' see the big picture @ that age.

[RLB]

Introduce him to a democrat......

[Sabine]

Turn off the AC in the house.

Get rid of cable, internet, cell phones, etc.

Have him take the public bus everywhere.

Buy enough ramen noodles that he can eat for the next two weeks. Maybe get the big jar of no name brand peanut butter and cereal.

Take him to the nearest good-will and pick out a nice pair of "experienced" shoes to wear every day. Tell him he can reflect on how poor your family is while walking places.

Box up everything he has in his room except for 1 or 2 items he truly likes.

And lastly, sign up to deliver news papers. O'dark thirty is his new job to help you make extra money by delivering those papers.

Whoa! That's taking it a little too far!

[BTLowry]

Rich people stay rich by living like they are broke
Poor people stay poor by living like they are rich

This^^^

Some folks I know that are pretty well off you might not think they had much

Some other folks I know you might think they are rich, but they are in debt up to their eyeballs and living check to check

You might also explain that being "rich" or "poor" sometimes has nothing to do with material things

I have known people who had more money than I could wrap my mind around that were some of the unhappiest people I ever met

[Be10dwn]

Whoa! That's taking it a little too far!

No kidding. Geeze

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[Codie]

Great learning opportunity - concentrate this opportunity on teaching what REALLY matters in life and $ and posssions isn't it.

[BTLowry]

We didn't have much growing up but I never remember thinking I was poor either

We played outside a lot

[kabob]

let him think your poor maybe he will grow up with respect and appreciation for what it takes to make it through life

[coy-ote]

poor is what you make of it, plenty of working poor people that aren't miserable they just live, take him and let him know our panhandlers live better than most people in 3rd world countries.