haha
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
My sons are the opposite of off the rails. They are very high achieving, high earning men. But they are so far from the money pinching attitudes that we on this board accept and espouse that I can sometimes hardly believe it. And they hardly grew up with a sense of entitlement, they earned their way all the way.I suspect kids who go off the rails may have parents who foster a sense of entitlement.
We sometimes overestimate our effect as parents, and underestimate what is just blowing on the wind. Case in point- both my parents were savers and hard workers. Me, and my brother born in the 40s are frugal, hard bargainers, and basically money clever. I also have a brother and sister 8 and 11 years younger. They grew up in the same home, same city, same parents and same schools as I and my 40s sib- but they couldn't be more different in the way that they think about and evaluate money.
Every study I have seen echos this- the biggest influence parents have is choosing a neighborhood and schools and other environment that heavily influences the other young people that our kids will meet and be influenced by. And the era, which is pretty much out of anyone's hands.
Ha
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