Monday, August 25, 2008

6 year old worries

Ben was in his room last night watching a movie before bed and came out to talk to us with tears streaming down his face. He began to tell us that he was scared. When I questioned him about his fears, in a broken voice he began to express that he is worried about his future. Specifically, he is worried about being able to buy a house when he gets grown up. He wanted to know how he would ever have enough money, and even if he could get a house, what would he do the second time that money was due for it.

Big Ben and I exchanged baffled looks. Then calmly we explained to him that if you work hard and are careful with your money then everything else falls in to place. This did not satisfy him. He wanted to know how he would get a good enough job to be able to afford a place and what if all of the good houses were taken before he got old enough.

The only response that I could come up with was to reassure him that if he worked as hard as he could and if he was careful with his money, then his parents would be there to help him if necessary. This gave him some satisfaction.

Doesn't six years old seem very young for such worries? Ben has always been a saver, he's hooked on adding money to his "penny bank." I don't want him to worry about grown up things too early, but I think perhaps this sense of responsibility may just be born into him.

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