A platter full of choices

Starting young

When we were growing up, things weren’t so easy,’ is one of the most common statements that all of us have heard from the previous generations. And now, talking about the younger generation, the adults have started chanting the same dialogue.

With parents working twice as hard to give their children the best they can, it’s a world of choices that the youngsters are presented with.

One of the choices they make and have a vast knowledge about is food culture. It’s quite common to see many teenagers and college students hanging out at some of the most happening restaurants in the city. They are aware of what to order and the experience the restaurant will offer them. However, is it wise for the youngsters to spend as much as they do at these almost-expensive restaurants?

Counsellor at ‘Inner Sight’ Mahesh Natarajan says, “For many children growing up,
it’s not just about going out and enjoying the meal but about being part of the crowd. The pressure of belonging has always been there and now, it has seeped into the food culture. While parents are willing to spend, it’s important that there is parent-child communication in place that tells them the value of money and how to spend right. It’s important that the children don’t get everything they ask for. Sometimes, the old values that we were taught are helpful in bringing up the current generation,” adds Mahesh.

Sandhya Krishnan is a single parent with a 13-year-old son. Sharing her experience, she says, “Anirudh is mostly under supervision when he plans to go out. He is far more aware of the options available. He knows which one is worth spending so much money on and which other places he can have the same option for a better rate.”
But she says there’s peer pressure that all teenagers go are affected by to be seen at a particular restaurant.

“I usually allow him to go to places like this during his holidays. While there’s a negotiation of pocket money, talking to him about the value of it and making him understand our lifestyle helps,” she explains.

However, Sandhya is gearing up be rational when he starts asking more questions in the future. She says, “The problem is not just about the money but also about the repercussions that his actions might have in the future. I believe it can be solved by just talking to your child.”

Hiren Doshi, the business development head at Amazon, is also teaching his children the value for money. He says, “We created a system where each one of us picks a restaurant to dine at during weekends. This way, the kids are exposed to different cuisines and we talk about how much we spend along with it. Comparing it with other expenses, the children are able to relate to it and remember it on the long run.”

While he says that his kids aren’t that careless with money, he has seen other children with bigger expectations.

“My daughter was recently invited to a party for a 12-year-old at a five star hotel. While this could have created unwanted expectation in my daughter's mind, by making her understand the true value of money, we were able address it. After all, we do give them some pocket money for the chores they do. These small acts will instil the value of how much they should spend and know how hard it is to earn.”