How to tell a kid re concept of rich and poor?

[mameejhy]

How do you explain to your 5yrs old about the concept of rich and poor? Lagi nagtatanong yun anak ko lately tungkol sa topic na to. Like, ano daw mahirap, ano mayaman? Kung mahirap o mayaman daw ba kami? 

[PrincessKitty]

ang hirap nyan.. pero eto nalang.

2 kinds of meaning ng mahirap at mayaman. 1. based on material things
       2. physically and emotionally

like example. anak, kahit mayaman sila.. tignan mo, hindi yung bata masaya kasi kahit nakukuha nya gusto nya... wala naman lagi daddy nya or mommy nya.. something like that. mayaman sa pera pero mahirap sa atensyon. yung ganoon sis

[prettykhae]

sis, nakakanosebleed minsan tanong nila diba? siguro magandang ituro sa kanya e, alang taong mayaman o mahirap. kasi hindi lahat ng tao e meron sya... parang ganun. kasi kung tell mo na mayaman kayo (kahit pa totoo) baka kasi maitanim sa utak nya un at may magiging nega na effect-LIKE (maging matapobre). at kung magtanong bakit may mga bata sa lansangan at namumulubi. tell mo na, kaya ikaw mag-aral kang mabuti, kasi hindi lahat e may pagkakataon na mag-aral...

[ysa.belle]

kids these days are very smart, very observant and really have lots of questions.

explain mo nalang siguro sis na masyadong malawak ang ibig sabihin ng rich & poor since hindi lang naman pera ang basehan sa pagiging mayaman & mahirap.

[showermist]

explain it to them like how you're going to explain it to an adult or na batang may isip na. only in simpler words.

 at 5years old, maiintindihan na niya. kids are smarter now.

[Mai]

maybe you can teach your child muna the meaning of rich and poor, like rich in vitamins meaning plenty yun, and poor in knowledge kapag tamad magaral...something like that....then pwede mo na i example na rich in wealth yung iba while others naman, yung poor have less money, just don't makeit sound like yunng rich in wealth/money is always better, para di naman nya maisip na pag poor eh pangit at dapat ikahiya.

[aquacharly]

Siguro may nag comment or nag compare sa kanya na rich kayo, or poor kayo.   Kaya he is asking kung rich/poor kayo.
Either way, get the story out of the kid... sino nagsabi and in what context.  That way, you can keep your definitions simple .. kung ano lang interes ng bata.

If sinabi ng playmate nya na sila richer than you.. tell your kid, maraming klase nang rich.  Parang maraming klase nang "nice toy".  To a girl, a doll is nice, but to a boy .. yuck.
So may rich sa utak, may rich sa toys, may rich kasi love na love sya ng mommy and daddy nya.
Now, do not please imply (kasi kids are soo smart these days)  that being rich in material stuff is bad...
Just point out how he is rich (you love him to bits, you spend a lot of time with him, he has a loving sibling, he has loving grandparents, etc etc etc... and he is smart, rich in the head ika nga) ...  then conclude that.. when he is old (as in an adult) and done with school.. he can be rich in all ways.  bow.

[Ms.Cacao70%]

ako pag may napapanood kami sa tv na mga bata sa africa na abandoned ng parents, nasa kalye nilalangaw (i know, sorry sa term) sinasabi ko sa anak ko na 4 year old na masuwerte siya at meron siyang magulang na nagaalaga sa kanya.

minsan me napapanood kami sa tv na children of war or kahit sa gmapinoy na mga bata sa squatter or sa kalye, nagtatanong siya sa akin kung asan ba daw ang mga magulang non, bat wala silang toy, bat sila umiiyak. sabi ko "kasi anak they are suffering, they have no money to buy food or clothes and they cant play coz they have to work"... medyo natitigilan sya non at napapa-isip.

well, im not telling her directly the difference between rich and poor coz really, it depends on how you look at it or how you define "rich" and I dont want my child to grow up thinking na porke malaki bahay, magarang car e rich na. i want her to go beyond the superficial meaning of things. i dont want her to be materialistic when she grows up.

pero gusto kong mainitindihan niya at ma-appreciate kung anong meron siya. i want her to know that not all kids have food to eat bed to sleep or parents to take care of them. so sa murang isip niya, nalalaman kung ano ba ang dapat pahalagahan

 

[blooming]

is there something wrong in just answering the question - mahirap is walang money. mayaman is maraming money.

kung ang question nya - mayaman ba or mahirap ang family nyo. you can throw back the question - what do you think?

[Ms.Cacao70%]

^sis, hindi naman mahirap lalo na kung ganyang kasimple ang explanation at kung sa matanda mo sasabihin  mahirap = walang pera, mayaman = maraming pera. Pero sa isang 5 yr. old na wala pang concept about money, its won't be easy. And you dont want your child to be matapobre or mayabang na when she sees a friend na walang pera, she would automatically think "e kze mahirap lang kayo! kawawa naman kayo!". i think it will be best to teach the very young kids the value of humility and compassion while teaching them about rich vs. poor. yon ay sa akin lang. kanya-kanya tayong diskarte dyan 

[muahmuahmuah]

maybe you can also explain it thru the concept of time how  God created us equal (ok kahit wag na yung created us all equal dahil confusing rin yun) and gave us all equal hours in a day and what we do with it is important.

Others take advantage of the hours we are given and work hard to provide or do well in life.  Then associate it with the working parent or for moms associate the time she spends in taking care of the family and the children because that where her time is most valued; and associate it with child, if lets say he/she goes to school,  the value of learning is spent  in school.  While there are those who value time differently there are also some who don't do anything with the days they are given.  So if someone doesn't do anything in a day what will they get...nothing.

lol parang ang bokya ng sagot ko, but i hope you get my drift.

[miss resilient]

kung ako yan..sabihin ko ang mahirap basic lang ang kinakain, di gaano nakakapagtravel, walang aircon ang bahay...

pag mayaman, may car, nakakapagtravel ng madalas, malaki at maganda bahay. as simple as that.

[proudmama]

if you ask my kids kung mahirap ba kami or mayaman they will answer " We just have enough".

pero i think medyo alam na ng eldest ko ang difference ng dalawa kasi medyo nagmamature na siya. i remember he asked me once bakit daw kami di makapagtravel abroad while my sister's family 2x na nagpunta sa Hongkong.  I just told him na mas nakakaangat sa buhay ang tita niya compared to us but it does not mean na mahirap kami dahil compared to other kids mas masuerte pa din siya.

[ads83]

my question naman is, "Is it important to teach our children about the concept of rich and poor?".. Is it important to discuss this? I'm also having a dilemma

[cheskacruz]

My eldest asks me this topic too when there are things that we can't buy and sometimes when he sees that we are buying a lot. He asks this to me also when he sees a relative with the latest gadgets, he asks "Mayaman ba sila?"

My number one rule: I tell the truth and explain it to him, like when I can't buy something.

Mommy doesn't have enough money yet to buy that kasi I have to buy your milk first, our food, your brothers' milks and diapers and I have to pay for my transportation too going to the office, but Mommy will save enough money so we can buy that.

When he sees naman that I bought a lot like sa grocery, I tell him...

Mommy had a bonus in the office for performing well, kaya nakabili tayong maraming food. I have extra money ngayon. Then I ask him what does he want or if he wants me to give him money and then he'll save it.

So far, my son doesn't complain, hindi naman siya naiinggit and he understands and he saves money too. Minsan nga nagkukuripot pa... Haha 

[junichi406]

is there something wrong in just answering the question - mahirap is walang money. mayaman is maraming money.

kung ang question nya - mayaman ba or mahirap ang family nyo. you can throw back the question - what do you think?

what? 

[Teacher_Cheryl]

When our son asks us if we are rich or poor, we always tell him we're blessed.

It's really a matter of perspective.

There will always be people who will have more than us but there will definitely be people who will have less than us also that's why we shouldn't complain - ever. 

That's a big rule in our house - no complaining because we're blessed talaga.  The fact that we have computers to type in now, that we have time to log in GT means that we lead comfortable lives than many others on the street.

So in reality, we are rich to some people but we are also poor to some. 

[Ms.Cacao70%]

^ i like that. I like the word "blessed".

If you feel blessed, then you feel rich

If I don't want to buy my daughter a toy, I'll tell her "I don't have money right now. Let's buy it some other time" And she will cry and say "But Daddy has money!!" Then I'll tell her "You can't have everything your want. Do you have money? No. So don't buy"  If she insists, I take her out of the store and distract her. She's 4, she never asked that question about rich and poor. But I teach more about the value of money.

[pressany]

when my eldest was about 5 or 6, she asked me kung mahirap daw ba kami.  I asked her kung bakit nya natanong yun.  Sabi nya kase daw yung house ng tito nya ay may chandelier at marami daw kotse kami daw walang chandelier at isa lang ang kotse.  Sa mata ng anak ko noon ang kaibahan ng mayaman sa mahirap ay big house na may chandelier, at maraming kotse.  I admit medyo napahiya ako sa sarili ko noon.  I know that we don't have much pero hindi ko pinakita sa anak ko yung naging feelings ko.  Instead, I took that opportunity na maexplain ko sa anak ko na hindi kami mahirap, hindi rin naman sing yaman ng tito nya, tama lang pero kung mag-aaral syang mabuti at magsusumikap maaabot nya ang gusto nya. 

Nung lumalaki na sya at nakikita nya na sa paligid nya yung mga pulubi, at mga batang kalye, alam na nyang idefine kung ano ang mayaman, may sapat lang at mahirap.

my question naman is, "Is it important to teach our children about the concept of rich and poor?".. Is it important to discuss this? I'm also having a dilemma

Yes. Lalo kung ang bata ang unang magtatanong.  This will help them realize what's real against what they see on tv or what they hear from the neighbors.  It's better na magulang ang unang mag-explain ng mga bagay bagay sa kanilang mga anak, that way alam mong ang sinabi mo ang magiging basehan nila ng kanilang mga opinyon at hindi ang ibang tao.

[mameejhy]

sis, nakakanosebleed minsan tanong nila diba? siguro magandang ituro sa kanya e, alang taong mayaman o mahirap. kasi hindi lahat ng tao e meron sya... parang ganun. kasi kung tell mo na mayaman kayo (kahit pa totoo) baka kasi maitanim sa utak nya un at may magiging nega na effect-LIKE (maging matapobre). at kung magtanong bakit may mga bata sa lansangan at namumulubi. tell mo na, kaya ikaw mag-aral kang mabuti, kasi hindi lahat e may pagkakataon na mag-aral...

Yan ang lagi ko sinasabi sa kanya - mag aral syang mabuti para paglaki nya makapagwork o business sya para may pambili ng gusto nya. 

If sinabi ng playmate nya na sila richer than you.. tell your kid, maraming klase nang rich.  Parang maraming klase nang "nice toy".  To a girl, a doll is nice, but to a boy .. yuck.
So may rich sa utak, may rich sa toys, may rich kasi love na love sya ng mommy and daddy nya.
Now, do not please imply (kasi kids are soo smart these days)  that being rich in material stuff is bad...
Just point out how he is rich (you love him to bits, you spend a lot of time with him, he has a loving sibling, he has loving grandparents, etc etc etc... and he is smart, rich in the head ika nga) ...  then conclude that.. when he is old (as in an adult) and done with school.. he can be rich in all ways.  bow.

Hindi ko sya natanong kung may nagtanong/ nagsabi sa kanya... But, I explained about the different levels of "rich" and "poor". I told her also that she is blessed to have her parents with her, to have siblings etc.

ako pag may napapanood kami sa tv na mga bata sa africa na abandoned ng parents, nasa kalye nilalangaw (i know, sorry sa term) sinasabi ko sa anak ko na 4 year old na masuwerte siya at meron siyang magulang na nagaalaga sa kanya.

minsan me napapanood kami sa tv na children of war or kahit sa gmapinoy na mga bata sa squatter or sa kalye, nagtatanong siya sa akin kung asan ba daw ang mga magulang non, bat wala silang toy, bat sila umiiyak. sabi ko "kasi anak they are suffering, they have no money to buy food or clothes and they cant play coz they have to work"... medyo natitigilan sya non at napapa-isip.

My daughter is now 6yrs old...

She asked me a few days back - Mom, bakit madumi (ang kalsada) sa Phils? Bakit maraming bad guys? Nanunuod kasi kami ng TV Patrol  Sabi ko hindi lang siguro nakapaglinis - kaya dapat huwag syang magkalat ng toys nya sa bahay. Sinabi ko rin na marami din bad guys sa ibang bansa, hindi lang namin nababalitaan kasi hindi namin pinapanuod ibang foreign channels  Mahirap mag isip ng sagot kapag on the spot eh

is there something wrong in just answering the question - mahirap is walang money. mayaman is maraming money.

kung ang question nya - mayaman ba or mahirap ang family nyo. you can throw back the question - what do you think?

That's hard, at least for me. We currently live in the Middle East where luxury is normal - examples: 1. Magkakatabi sa mall parking lot ang landcuiser, pajero, lexus, porsche, bmw at benz. 2. You see LV, Chanel & Hermes bags everywhere. 3. (Locals) People live in villas as in 3-5 bedrooms.

How do I tell her na "Mahirap is walang money; mayaman is maraming money" without her thinking/ feeling na mahirap kami? Ayoko naman sabihin na "Anak, we only earn X amount of money so we're poor" kasi baka may makausap/makita sya na mas mababa ang sahod o lesser condition of living.

She asked once bakit may Ipad ang classmate nya pero sya (kami) wala. Sabi ko, hindi namin kelangan kasi may laptop naman kami.

Others take advantage of the hours we are given and work hard to provide or do well in life.  Then associate it with the working parent or for moms associate the time she spends in taking care of the family and the children because that where her time is most valued; and associate it with child, if lets say he/she goes to school,  the value of learning is spent  in school.  While there are those who value time differently there are also some who don't do anything with the days they are given.  So if someone doesn't do anything in a day what will they get...nothing.

My parents went here for a visit so I was able to explain the concept of working in an office and having a business... May business kasi ang mom ko so she were able to go on vacation for a long period of time as compared to my dad who works in an office so he only had 15 working days of vacation.

my question naman is, "Is it important to teach our children about the concept of rich and poor?".. Is it important to discuss this? I'm also having a dilemma

I think so because this is part of reality. 

When our son asks us if we are rich or poor, we always tell him we're blessed.

It's really a matter of perspective.

There will always be people who will have more than us but there will definitely be people who will have less than us also that's why we shouldn't complain - ever. 

That's what we tell her now. And, we also include "Thank you for the blessings" in our nightly family prayers. Since kids nga, lagi sinasabi ng child#2 ko is "Thank you for the milk and toys, Papa God". She is 3yrs old.