Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Elton John - they all left no inheritance to their children. Why such a tendency exists in the West, but in Russia it is practically not widespread, said family psychologist Elena Ovcharenko.
“In Russia, leaving a huge legacy to their children, they often work out their own psychological trauma. A person who has made a fortune wants to give his child as much as possible. Often - to prove something to someone. For example, to prove that he is a good parent. Or give your child something that he himself did not have. Allowing everything to their children, rich parents form their consumer attitude to things. And at some point, they drastically change their strategies of behavior - they suddenly deprive children of everything so that they can earn money themselves,”says the psychologist.
However, in this matter, a lot depends on the mentality. There is another tradition abroad: in wealthy families, where parents own companies, it is customary for children to go from bottom to top. And in Russia this is often due to a complex of things that we were deprived of in childhood. Our parents try to give their children everything that they themselves were deprived of in childhood. First, these are children's toys, and then adults.
Photo source: unsplash.com
“This is how the character of children is formed, who do not know what rules, norms and responsibility are. And without them, chaos is created. To re-educate them, parents deprive their children of many benefits, trying to show that money comes through hard work,”the psychologist believes.
Evgenia Ovcharenko advised to keep a balance in everything. Love is an unconditional thing and does not depend at all on material wealth. It exists on its own; it cannot be earned, conquered, or bought.
“When parents are wealthy, they should think very well about what they want to teach their child. It is important to teach your child how to manage money correctly - it does not matter if the parents are rich or poor. Children should have pocket money so that from an early age they learn to pay with them and understand why they are needed. It is imperative to form responsibility and awareness,”the expert believes.
It is necessary to instill this awareness from childhood with certain rules. Children need to understand that they are responsible for their own things. For example, a child has a toy. He must play with it and put it in place. If the child does not do this, treats his toys carelessly, then responsibility does not form in him. And the child should understand that money was invested in this toy. It doesn't matter how much the parent earns, the child just needs to understand that everything costs money.
Photo source: unsplash.com
It is necessary to cultivate financial literacy from childhood. When buying something, parents should ask themselves the question: "Are you doing this for yourself or for the child?" If a person earns a lot, then, most likely, he does not have time for a child. Ask yourself: “What do I want to fill in this way? Just make amends for my guilt, which I feel, because I do not devote time to the child? " If the answer is "for the sake of the child", then you can safely make a purchase. And if not, then you should find at least half an hour of time and just spend it with your child at home and without shopping.
When everything is available to children, thanks to the great financial capabilities of parents, they lose their zest for life too early. And the taste of life is not a material basis. The child needs to be taught the expectation, the process. The time spent together will give the child so much more.