I am struggling with something currently... the passion people have for material things. My son LOVES the brand Under Armour. I'm convinced he could where this brand of clothing on a daily basis for the rest of his life. But I have a hard time buying some of these things. Shirts and some clothing items I am okay buying, it's a bit pricey for me really but I understand his love for this brand. But I must draw the line somewhere. Because truthfully, what will we do with all this crap when the brand fades away or he outgrows them?! Let's move on to his cell phone. We don't have a home phone so in order for him to start staying home alone at times we had to either get a house phone or a cell phone. We went the cell phone route, it just made sense. But his phone (which we paid extra for and was actually nicer than mine or Jason's) isnt "cool" or what everyone else has. How can we compete when kids his age and younger have Blackberrys, Razors, and other brand name, expensive phones? My poor sister traded Cameron her Razor for his's phone. She tried so hard to tell him the "cool" phones arent all they are cracked up to be. But he is now the happy owner of a Razor!
I feel somewhat guilty and part of the trend. What am I teaching my child? How do I teach my 10 yr old the value of money and that it truly isnt important to keep up with your peers in trends? How do I teach him this when the world we live in is so consumed with the latest and greatest? And why are adults so consumed with name brand crap as well (purses, clothes, shoes, bags, makeup, neighborhoods, cars, etc). I cannot fathom the thought of paying hundreds of dollars for a purse or clothing items. Is it really that important? Am I missing something here? What's funny is that the brand name purse (the one that EVERYONE else has) actually brings women together! Crazy! Do people really pick their friends based on the expensive items they possess? Surely not you would think... but it does! I've seen it!
(Just a little disclaimer: I did go through a short phase in my life where I bought extremely pricey items. The worst was $175 for a pair of shoes. I now regret this because - I grew out of them, the name faded, and I have nothing to show for them today. This was a lesson I learned quickly!)
Which leads my thoughts to this... when do women grow out of clicks and gossip? Why can't we all just get along? Why do women at the old age we are still feel the need to talk about others or treat others so rudely? (Maybe it's because they dont own a brand name purse or bag!)
I just cant compete. And some way, somehow I am going to find a way to teach my children the value of money. But I will not try to keep up with everyone else and my children will learn this quickly. They may hate me today because they dont have the coolest shoes, gloves or hats but years from now they will understand and hopefully appreciate the things they did.
So tell me, AM I missing something in brand names?
4 comments:
hey girly- I totally agree, that is why I unfortunately dont hang out with many people. Maybe not b/c I am that way but b/c I am not and it sucks. So I shop at target and walmart and dont carry the expensive bag I am who I am if they dont like it then well..... you know. have an awesome Labor Day weekend
yes , yes you are missing out on something : ] - no I'm jsut kidding, and every time i look at this darn phone i feel so bad. . .
ok so my confession is that I will spend a bit more on my clothes. Mainly because I have a hard time getting a good fit, but I also find that you sometimes get what you pay for. I am not talking about $100 for a top or anything but I dont mind paying a bit for something that is classic and will last me a while. Of course I havent changed sizes in a few years. Unless I get really great deals on it my kids will not be getting much in the way of expensive name brands.
As far as teaching him the value of money, my mother never bought me name brands. The ONE single outfit that I had that was name brand (Tommy Hilfigure) I paid for myself with my allowance and birthday money. I paid $60 for a skirt and a top. I kept that outfit for a good 5 years and you can bet that I appriciated how much money I had to spend to get it.
Just some thoughts for you!
Ugh... I dread the day my kids want those expensive brand names. I went through that when I was growing up. Sometimes I still catch myself getting frustrated when others have trendy, brand name things. Usually I don't get frustrated because they HAVE them, but most people who buy them want to make sure you KNOW they have them!
I do agree with Anna on the clothes thing, but even those, I will not buy unless I am getting a good deal...and I am probably not going to go around telling everyone where I got them. (Unless it is a super cheap deal I want to brag about!... but that could be the case with something from Target!) Now that I think about it, I feel embarrased if I do have something really showy and expensive. I think other people will think I want them to THINK I have lots of money. Maybe I should blog about this... I seem to have a lot to say on the matter!:)
"for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations." Proverbs 27:24
"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:5
It is hard for young people to understand, but "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"
Romans 11:33 This is all that really matters!
I miss you!
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