Author Topic: Kids as Status Symbols  (Read 6842 times)

HoneyBadger

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Kids as Status Symbols
« on: December 31, 2014, 04:17:56 PM »
"Parents Spend More Than $500 a Month to Outdo Each Other, Survey Shows"

http://www.ktar.com/?nid=22&sid=1792479

I don't know which is worse, the stupid spending or treating kids like dress-up dolls.


RFAAOATB

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2014, 06:03:30 PM »
Gosh darn it I wasn't into trendy clothes when I was a kid and was low on the popularity totem pole.  Just like politics I'm going to spend so much money to encourage my future kid's popularity.  How do we optimize ROI on dollars spent to popularity improvements?

Fodder

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2015, 01:06:24 AM »
I do not even understand what that study is trying to say.

No one I know spends $500/month on crap for their kids....most of us spend more than that on daycare, but that is not exactly a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses type of expense.  That is crazy....

pipercat

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2015, 06:58:39 AM »
I do not even understand what that study is trying to say.

No one I know spends $500/month on crap for their kids....most of us spend more than that on daycare, but that is not exactly a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses type of expense.  That is crazy....

+1.  Since the majority of the spending consists of housing and childcare, I'm not sure how parents are spending the extra $500 per month.  I need more info from this study, I guess.

boarder42

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2015, 07:06:23 AM »
i like how it says 30% charged it to credit cards.  i charge everything to credit cards.  they give me cash back.  credit cards arent horrible

MgoSam

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2015, 07:38:49 AM »
i like how it says 30% charged it to credit cards.  i charge everything to credit cards.  they give me cash back.  credit cards arent horrible

I think the difference is that I assume you pay off your credit cards on time and avoid late fees and interest, whereas when reading the article I assumed that they don't pay their cards off in full on time.

HoneyBadger

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2015, 07:49:25 AM »
What I got from this article is parents are going into debt dressing their children in designer clothes, throwing over-the-top birthday parties and buying expensive accessories (such as the $50,000 playhouse mentioned) to impress other parents.  I didn't understand it to be about basic childcare expenses. 

I couldn't help but think that $500 a month compounded over 18 years would pay for a top-notch college education.

pbkmaine

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2015, 07:51:32 AM »
It always cracks me up when I see kids dressed up, everything matching, incredibly expensive, and the parents are in sweats and T-shirts.

MoneyCat

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2015, 10:30:30 AM »
Don't statistics show that popular children generally grow up to be more successful adults?  I don't know if it's a causation/correlation thing, but there could be something to investing in making your children popular.

Elderwood17

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2015, 10:56:51 AM »
Raised four kids and never once thought of them as status symbols!  While I have been guilty of taking pride in their accomplishments and the type of people they showed they were becoming, I don't recall taking pride in their appearance at any time!

Sid Hoffman

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2015, 11:41:56 AM »
Don't statistics show that popular children generally grow up to be more successful adults?  I don't know if it's a causation/correlation thing, but there could be something to investing in making your children popular.

Not that I've seen, but the concept of "Dress for Success" is as old as it gets.  You also see it as "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."  They are all part of the larger idea of looking the part.  There's been countless cases of people finding success, either legally or otherwise, because they simply looked like they knew what they were doing, or looked like they belonged somewhere.  So much of success in life depends on social networking and I don't doubt that what you said is correct.  It would certainly seem plausible that kids who have more stuff find it easier to make friends, and people with more friends are able to network their way into better jobs, get recommendations into higher quality schools, and internships for desirable jobs on up the line.

JustPlainBill

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2015, 11:48:54 AM »
My kids aren't running around naked and don't have to eat the dog poop in the back yard.  Success.

Elderwood17

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2015, 03:07:22 PM »
My kids aren't running around naked and don't have to eat the dog poop in the back yard.  Success.
Great work!  Keep it up!

taekvideo

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2015, 04:38:38 PM »
Don't statistics show that popular children generally grow up to be more successful adults?  I don't know if it's a causation/correlation thing, but there could be something to investing in making your children popular.

Not that I've seen, but the concept of "Dress for Success" is as old as it gets.  You also see it as "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."  They are all part of the larger idea of looking the part.  There's been countless cases of people finding success, either legally or otherwise, because they simply looked like they knew what they were doing, or looked like they belonged somewhere.  So much of success in life depends on social networking and I don't doubt that what you said is correct.  It would certainly seem plausible that kids who have more stuff find it easier to make friends, and people with more friends are able to network their way into better jobs, get recommendations into higher quality schools, and internships for desirable jobs on up the line.

That really depends on the type of person you are and what skills you actually have.
My "social network" consists of literally 0 people, excluding immediate family (I'm a strongly introverted INTJ type).
I went into computer programming / web design and it hasn't really mattered for me at all.
I work from home at my current job and my employer couldn't care less how I dress lol
For other people though yeah, it could make a great deal of difference. But I still don't think spending a bunch of money on an expensive wardrobe is the best use of money if your interest is in creating the best future possible for your child.

thrifted

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2015, 05:37:05 PM »
kids as status symbols is a bold statement but its a pretty accurate picture according to instagram.

then again, social media can hardly be trusted, but believe me when i say that i have multiple friends who buy their kids jordans every year so that the family matches, they do professional photo shoots even though they own fancy cameras themselves, the kids each get an iPad upgrade yearly so as to stay up to date with technology, they take vacations to hawaii or another beach destination every year though they live in a beach city, and they have yearly disneyland passes though its a 3 hour drive away.

... and when you ask about college funds there's no comment. they don't even want to think about it.


Unique User

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Re: Kids as Status Symbols
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2015, 06:35:24 PM »
My kids aren't running around naked and don't have to eat the dog poop in the back yard.  Success.

+1  I just told mine last week that she should only need a small amount of therapy to get over not having all the electronics/clothes/vacations/etc. all her friends had when she was in school. 

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!