“Mama, do you think you can buy me a black shirt?” “Can you buy the material for my project?” “Can I go to the dance?” These are just a few recent requests of Firstborn. Yesterday he asked to go to the store to buy a drink for .75 cents, which was all the money he had. Since his summer job of cutting grass is over, a cash flow lesson was needed. Instead of lecturing him about spending his last penny on something he didn’t need, I told him he needed to take his lunch to school one or two days this week to assist with the cash flow into his pocket. He chose not to buy the drink to avoid the embarrassing brown bag. Brown bags are obviously not cool. Cool or not, son you will be brown bagging it one day this week or you’ll be hungry! I didn’t want to go this route, but it was necessary. Later in the evening, I reminded him about his brown bag lunch and I received a very quiet, “Yes Ma’am.” He’ll be okay, and this mama will make sure it’s one of the best brown bag lunches ever. It’ll be so good; he’ll want to take another one – maybe. I’m sure Firstborn’s purchase requests will continue and regardless if they are wants or needs, as long as he does his part, it’s okay. As a mother, I have an obligation to not only provide the needs and wants of my children, but to teach them how these needs and wants are met, how to generate their own income, and how to cut back! Mothers should also set an example. Break out the brown bags!
II Thessalonians 3:10
… "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
