4 ms·

Sure, you can give them cash. If the parents aren’t around (e.g. they’re with a babysitter)…they can wait until the parents are around to give them cash.

chrisseaton 5y ago
> …they can wait Well now you can see the point of the product then... it's about giving your children some freedom and responsibility for themselves.
- usrusr 5y ago
  But then they might learn how to make a buying decision based on its impact on some long term balance, not just based on "is the money available now: yes/no". Sounds good, but at the same time they'll miss out on quite a bit of learning that almost everything (that a child might want) can be had if only they beg/negotiate/throw a fit hard enough. Life gives me the impression that in a ruthless-takes-all world the negotiation skills taught by the latter have far more impact than the being reasonable about money skills taught by the former. (sorry for the sarcasm)
watwut 5y ago
The whole point of pocket money is that it is theirs and you dont gatekeep every buy. And kids can go to store without babysitter.
- basisword 5y ago
  1. Not “gatekeeping” their decision. They just might have to wait a few hours before they can carry it out. 2. I’m not sure of your point here. I meant if the parent wasn’t around to provide the cash the kid might have to wait until they are around. Not that they need someone to take them to the store (although this is highly dependent on where you live and the age of the kid).
  - chrisseaton 5y ago
    But that’s the point - the child may want to spend their money spontaneously or even to buy something private.
  - watwut 5y ago
    1. If they have to get me for each buy, I have power to gatekeep. And they need to report to me every buy by design. It is clearly not the same thing, it is clearly less practical. It is completely different then having own money - which in fact allow all of us to pay when we want what we want as long as we have money. Nobody is saying kids will die if they dont have own card. They wont die if they dont have books or toy cars either. But it makes perfect sense for familly to want those things, no matter how much people yell on clouds about kids not living as if it was 1836. 2. The point was to respond to babysitter assumption to make clear what I mean .
onemoresoop 5y ago
I think cash is good alternative. No data collection, no surprises, just learn to count the chance you receive back and you're good. The problem I have with cards is that money is less tangible and it is easier for kids to learn the value of money by handling coins and paper. But surely, I agree with others that this method of payment will become obsolete.
ryanlol 5y ago
Is this some weird american thing where kids can’t go outside by themselves? Maybe your kid went to hang out with some friends after school, asks for money to go to the cinema or just to get some food? Why would you go out of your way to make your life difficult by avoiding debit cards?
- skeeter2020 5y ago
  I'm struggling to help my kids (teen through < 10) understand the value representation of money. It helps to covet a physical item, even if it's just a piece of plastic/paper. Money is hard to undestand when you don't work like a dog to earn very little of it, so this is even harder for kids.
  - watwut 5y ago
    My kids got this through pocket money and being or not being able to buy stuff. "I need 6$ to buy that and have only 3$" is how they got it. We moved on virtual money fairly fast. > Money is hard to undestand when you don't work like a dog to earn very little of it, so this is even harder for kids. It is not? If you role model financial decisions in front of them where they see, they pick yout habits.
- kube-system 5y ago
  That weird American thing is called suburban sprawl :) I never lived within walking distance of a store as a kid.

chrisseaton 5y ago

> …they can wait Well now you can see the point of the product then... it's about giving your children some freedom and responsibility for themselves.

usrusr 5y ago
But then they might learn how to make a buying decision based on its impact on some long term balance, not just based on "is the money available now: yes/no". Sounds good, but at the same time they'll miss out on quite a bit of learning that almost everything (that a child might want) can be had if only they beg/negotiate/throw a fit hard enough. Life gives me the impression that in a ruthless-takes-all world the negotiation skills taught by the latter have far more impact than the being reasonable about money skills taught by the former. (sorry for the sarcasm)

watwut 5y ago

The whole point of pocket money is that it is theirs and you dont gatekeep every buy. And kids can go to store without babysitter.

basisword 5y ago
1. Not “gatekeeping” their decision. They just might have to wait a few hours before they can carry it out. 2. I’m not sure of your point here. I meant if the parent wasn’t around to provide the cash the kid might have to wait until they are around. Not that they need someone to take them to the store (although this is highly dependent on where you live and the age of the kid).
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  But that’s the point - the child may want to spend their money spontaneously or even to buy something private.
- watwut 5y ago
  1. If they have to get me for each buy, I have power to gatekeep. And they need to report to me every buy by design. It is clearly not the same thing, it is clearly less practical. It is completely different then having own money - which in fact allow all of us to pay when we want what we want as long as we have money. Nobody is saying kids will die if they dont have own card. They wont die if they dont have books or toy cars either. But it makes perfect sense for familly to want those things, no matter how much people yell on clouds about kids not living as if it was 1836. 2. The point was to respond to babysitter assumption to make clear what I mean .

onemoresoop 5y ago

I think cash is good alternative. No data collection, no surprises, just learn to count the chance you receive back and you're good. The problem I have with cards is that money is less tangible and it is easier for kids to learn the value of money by handling coins and paper. But surely, I agree with others that this method of payment will become obsolete.

ryanlol 5y ago

Is this some weird american thing where kids can’t go outside by themselves? Maybe your kid went to hang out with some friends after school, asks for money to go to the cinema or just to get some food? Why would you go out of your way to make your life difficult by avoiding debit cards?

skeeter2020 5y ago
I'm struggling to help my kids (teen through < 10) understand the value representation of money. It helps to covet a physical item, even if it's just a piece of plastic/paper. Money is hard to undestand when you don't work like a dog to earn very little of it, so this is even harder for kids.
- watwut 5y ago
  My kids got this through pocket money and being or not being able to buy stuff. "I need 6$ to buy that and have only 3$" is how they got it. We moved on virtual money fairly fast. > Money is hard to undestand when you don't work like a dog to earn very little of it, so this is even harder for kids. It is not? If you role model financial decisions in front of them where they see, they pick yout habits.
kube-system 5y ago
That weird American thing is called suburban sprawl :) I never lived within walking distance of a store as a kid.