How poor were you as a child?

[Mancie]

I remember we were so poor, one Christmas I got a battery with a note attached saying.."toys not Included"
Year after my Dad bought me a tortious...watched it for 3 weeks before I realised it was a bit of rock!
So..how hard was it for Accywebbers?

[grannyclaret]

We diddent have much money, but neither did any of the other kids,,,,we still had a great xmas ,but our stockings were made up of little toys and an orange and apple..you always got the latest annual,,ie beano or dandy,,and some spanish twirly things..and a selection box,,,,WOW we did well when i think about it..

[BERNADETTE]

Depends on how you define poor really. Wasn't as much onus on who got or had what then, nowadays it is all different with parents making sure their kids get everything that is going. Feel life was much richer when we were kids regardless of whether we had the latest gadgets. Believe me we never had them but we had plenty of love!!!

[garinda]

I know it's all relative, and we had a nice house, new cars, good holidays, a swimming pool, and a boat, but we were honestly never spoilt. If we wanted something we had to work for it, and save enough money until we could afford it.

At primary school it was the children whose parents that probably struggled more finacially, who always had the latest, and most expensive must haves.

Presents break, or you get bored with them. The best thing you can give a child is love, and that costs nothing.

[grannyclaret]

Yes we were well loved,, my dad died when i had just gone 12,, but my mum made up for both parents,to me and my brother,,its a pity i diddent realise at the time,what hardship she must have gone through ,,none of todays handouts,,,I got a paper round for my luxury,s

[emamum]

Originally Posted by grannyclaret

Yes we were well loved,, my dad died when i had just gone 12,, but my mum made up for both parents,to me and my brother,,its a pity i diddent realise at the time,what hardship she must have gone through ,,none of todays handouts,,,I got a paper round for my luxury,s

tbh in this day and age i think this is what our children lack.... everything is handed to them on a plate and they think they are entitled to have what they want... if they were made to work for their luxuries they may have a better understanding of what money means and more respect for their and other peoples property.............

[blazey]

I was an only child til I was 10 and had lots of toys and the biggest bedroom in the house. However I only had this because I had my step dad with my mum then but he made me miserable. I was bullied at school too so I was generally very withdrawn and unhappy.

Much happier now with just my mum even if I don't have loads of luxuries.

[BERNADETTE]

Originally Posted by emamum23

tbh in this day and age i think this is what our children lack.... everything is handed to them on a plate and they think they are entitled to have what they want... if they were made to work for their luxuries they may have a better understanding of what money means and more respect for their and other peoples property.............

Surely if you can see this you can reverse the trend?? Do you not think that today people try to give their children material things because their mates have them?? Can assure you plenty of my mates had far more material things than me and I don't feel one bit deprived(doubt my siblings do either). Just seems to me that to much emphasis is put on material possessions these days and parents are the ones bearing the brunt

[emamum]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Surely if you can see this you can reverse the trend?? Do you not think that today people try to give their children material things because their mates have them?? Can assure you plenty of my mates had far more material things than me and I don't feel one bit deprived(doubt my siblings do either). Just seems to me that to much emphasis is put on material possessions these days and parents are the ones bearing the brunt

Ive taught ty about money.. he has a money jar and he knows if he wants a new game he has to save for it........I'm thinking about trying to get him to do some jobs around the house for me aswell to earn somemore money.......

[BERNADETTE]

Originally Posted by emamum23

Ive taught ty about money.. he has a money jar and he knows if he wants a new game he has to save for it........I'm thinking about trying to get him to do some jobs around the house for me aswell to earn somemore money.......

Good on you could do with a few more like minded people But besides that make Ty aware that just because his friends have something doesn't mean he can get it too!! And don't try and tell me you don't miss out rather than see him disappointed. Disappointment is part of life

[Mancie]

I did have a paper round....and I gave my wages to my Dad..he said it was to buy food for the rabbit... strange thing is ours was the only rabbit I've known that ate a large doner kebab and drank a bottle of Jack Daniels every friday night!

[Mancie]

I did post this in anything goes.. meant as a joke thread but "anything goes"

[blazey]

Originally Posted by emamum23

Ive taught ty about money.. he has a money jar and he knows if he wants a new game he has to save for it........I'm thinking about trying to get him to do some jobs around the house for me aswell to earn somemore money.......

My mum does the same with my little sister, she gets 20p per job There is no way I would do jobs for my mum for 20p but my sister does it at 9yrs old without much complaint.

She has a strop every now and again about how her friends get loads of stuff, especially when it comes to xmas and birthdays. Funnily enough she never complains about holidays though even though she has several friends that go abroad quite often. I take her and my brother to the zoo every now and again though so they at least get days out. Last time I took them to blackpool zoo and we walked all the way from the zoo to the front because I didn't really want to waste money on a taxi brother got in his pram after half the walk but my sister only complained once, but that soon went away when she realised we had more money to spend on chips and rock!

[lettie]

Looking back, we didn't have much. Most of our clothes were hand me downs from our older cousins. I never really saw it as a problem when I was a child. My friend was an only child and had everything. I remember being jealous because she didn't have to share a bedroom with anyone while I was stuck sharing with my annoying sisters Grego and Sammy....

I remember seeing footage of the starving children in Ethiopia with their pot-bellies and skinny limbs and feeling really sorry for them. We never had much money but at least we were fed, clothed and had warm beds at night.

As teenagers, it was made quite clear to us that if we wanted new stuff, we worked for it. I worked 5 tea times a week in the chippy from being 14. Weekends saw us mucking out the stables in Rishton and grooming horses so that we could get some free rides and enter the horses in the shows. I also occasionally covered for my mate packing up stalls on Accy market. This was all in between going to school, doing homework, O levels and having a social life..... Phew!!!!! no wonder I'm knackered now..

Had a great time as a kid though.

[AccyLass]

My children do get a fair amount of stuff,
but they have to "work" for it, so to speak

My 9 yr old has chores to do in order to get £5-00 a week
If she wants to miss a chore then I take a pound off
If she doesn't want to do them at all then she gets no money at all
No phone top up, no new game

My 4 yr old lad also does "chores"
He has to make his bed every morning and dust,
in order to get £2-00 a week
This will get him a magazine a week
Same applies for him, if he doesn't want to do it then he is made
to understand that he will not be able to get a magazine
and the rest of the money goes in his money box



We had nowt as kids tho, probably weren't as bad off as some