Once a week, I will drop by a local organic shop near my house to pick up hubby's weekly supply of wheatgrass. It is also a sort of a treat for Ryan as we will go to the shops nearby to buy titbits and on special occasion, pokemon cards. Without me realising or rather, I have been taking the easy way out, it has become a habit for Ryan to ask for pokemon cards on every visit, so much so that he has now accumulate quite a number of cards. The habit has also turned into expectation as he expects to "get" a fresh deck of pokemon cards every week.
It's time for some serious parenting. So today, I explained to him why I'm not buying him any more cards. I also explained the value of money and the fact that he has loads of other toys and cards to play with. He will get treats/cards only when he truly deserves them.
In the end, he cried and cried and cried; silently at first and thereafter he started his threats. Throughout this, I kept my cool. It breaks my heart but I need to do this, I have to. I need him to understand and accept the fact that life is not a bed of roses, and that he cannot get everything he wants and also the value of money.
Although he's 6, I think it's the right time to start. I do not want him to turn out to be a spoilt brat. The earlier he learns this, the better. Parenting is a difficult task and there's just no easy way out.
