<p>We sometimes gift money to children on their birthdays or for their scholastic achievements, often forgetting it is a good opportunity to drive home the message of thrift in the euphoria of the moment. Advocating thrift simultaneously makes the gift far more meaningful than a mere pecuniary present.</p>.<p>Indeed, the habit of saving for the proverbial rainy day should, ideally, be inculcated in children early in life if it’s to benefit them in the long run. Thrift and providence go hand in hand, one supplementing the other.</p>.<p>They begin right at home, and a piggy bank is perhaps the best starting point for children to learn the value of money and the need to save it for a contingency. It is so essential a part of their upbringing. And it is here that the age-old adage “Little drops make an ocean” can have a positive effect on impressionable minds.</p>.Why can’t kids stop? Child anxiety in the age of digital overload.<p>Thrift is basically the avoidance of wasteful expenditure. When given more pocket money than necessary, youngsters are tempted to squander it undesirably and irresponsibly. Many take to bad habits due to the generous allowances they receive from their indulgent parents. During my boarding school days in the 1950s, the prefect prudently pruned our weekly pocket money to a mere trifle – just enough to buy oneself a snack. </p>.<p>Yet some of the boarders diligently saved even this pittance, accumulating enough over the months to buy themselves something really useful or necessary. Thrift implies, among other things, denying oneself something pleasurable.</p>.<p>There’s perhaps no better way to teach children thrift than by personal example, for action speaks louder than mere words. Often in our eagerness to keep up with the Joneses, our children see us splurge on clothes and other luxuries or non-essentials that we could well do without. Envy is a strong motivator that runs counter to thrift, sometimes neutralising it. However, when firm restraint is exercised in this regard, children imbibe the spirit of thrift, however unpalatable it may initially be to them.</p>.<p>Yet, thrift is an attribute that’s inherent in most people. Indeed, thrift has a habit of growing on one, for once it takes root, it cannot be shaken off easily. An indispensable quality, the essence of thrift is a desire to save financially for the future and its uncertainties. Thrift is, quintessentially, financial foresight – the diametric opposite of extravagance, the bane of so many families these days. </p>.<p>As such, the importance of teaching children the value of thrift cannot be overstressed since it can go a long way in bettering the quality of their adult lives and freeing them from financial worry. The slogan “Catch ‘em young!” applies as much here as it does to any other worthwhile effort directed at children.</p>.<p>All in all, a truly worthwhile gift that we can give our children is a robust sense of thrift. With the cost of everything spiralling, thrift has become less of a virtue and more of an absolute necessity for most of us these days. </p><p>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.) </p>
<p>We sometimes gift money to children on their birthdays or for their scholastic achievements, often forgetting it is a good opportunity to drive home the message of thrift in the euphoria of the moment. Advocating thrift simultaneously makes the gift far more meaningful than a mere pecuniary present.</p>.<p>Indeed, the habit of saving for the proverbial rainy day should, ideally, be inculcated in children early in life if it’s to benefit them in the long run. Thrift and providence go hand in hand, one supplementing the other.</p>.<p>They begin right at home, and a piggy bank is perhaps the best starting point for children to learn the value of money and the need to save it for a contingency. It is so essential a part of their upbringing. And it is here that the age-old adage “Little drops make an ocean” can have a positive effect on impressionable minds.</p>.Why can’t kids stop? Child anxiety in the age of digital overload.<p>Thrift is basically the avoidance of wasteful expenditure. When given more pocket money than necessary, youngsters are tempted to squander it undesirably and irresponsibly. Many take to bad habits due to the generous allowances they receive from their indulgent parents. During my boarding school days in the 1950s, the prefect prudently pruned our weekly pocket money to a mere trifle – just enough to buy oneself a snack. </p>.<p>Yet some of the boarders diligently saved even this pittance, accumulating enough over the months to buy themselves something really useful or necessary. Thrift implies, among other things, denying oneself something pleasurable.</p>.<p>There’s perhaps no better way to teach children thrift than by personal example, for action speaks louder than mere words. Often in our eagerness to keep up with the Joneses, our children see us splurge on clothes and other luxuries or non-essentials that we could well do without. Envy is a strong motivator that runs counter to thrift, sometimes neutralising it. However, when firm restraint is exercised in this regard, children imbibe the spirit of thrift, however unpalatable it may initially be to them.</p>.<p>Yet, thrift is an attribute that’s inherent in most people. Indeed, thrift has a habit of growing on one, for once it takes root, it cannot be shaken off easily. An indispensable quality, the essence of thrift is a desire to save financially for the future and its uncertainties. Thrift is, quintessentially, financial foresight – the diametric opposite of extravagance, the bane of so many families these days. </p>.<p>As such, the importance of teaching children the value of thrift cannot be overstressed since it can go a long way in bettering the quality of their adult lives and freeing them from financial worry. The slogan “Catch ‘em young!” applies as much here as it does to any other worthwhile effort directed at children.</p>.<p>All in all, a truly worthwhile gift that we can give our children is a robust sense of thrift. With the cost of everything spiralling, thrift has become less of a virtue and more of an absolute necessity for most of us these days. </p><p>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.) </p>
