Julia Berkley

> I've been reading on and off for a while -- the volume of the list
> overwhelms me, but I'm totally grateful for it when I get the chance
> to check in. I have to agree here with the "own money" idea, and will
> point out that the amount of that money isn't important. If it's only
> a little, well, then, that's realistic for your family and he'll find
> the challenge is to be economical enough to use what he's got. Also,
> the driving around could be an issue, like you said, so I think the
> suggestion others made to limit how often you'll go out to get stuff
> is a good idea, too.

I do think sometimes kids get really excited when they realize they can
"save" money for their family by buying inexpensive stuff or finding
free stuff. They often forget to pay attention to whether or not they
actually need it! Gee, where do they get that, I wonder?;-)

Good luck! (p.s. If you really have that uncomfortable feeling about
compulsiveness, try reducing as many stress factors as you can in his
life and seeing if it also reduces the drive for stuff -- it could just
be an expression of some underlying anxiety, same as it often is for
adults...). Hope this helps!

Julia




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