When it comes to money, there are so many teachable moments with our children. When my son, Brighton was a toddler he loved to go down the toy isle at the grocery store.
"I just look mom... I just look" he would say in that adorable voice, arms in the air, shoulders shrugged and with a persuasive look on his face.
I would make a conscious effort to hold off on putting the frozen and cold foods in our shopping cart until after we had perused the toy isle. I set the timer on my phone and let him look up and down the entire isle.
When time ran out he would come to me with a couple of toys in his little hands. "These mom" he would say and he would hold still and smile as I took a picture.
When he was satisfied with the picture he would put the toys back in their place on the shelves and off we went to get the groceries.
This routine did not happen on accident or over night. After many melt downs, disappointments, conversations, trial and error this became our routine.
Every now and then he would ask to see the photos from the grocery store toy isle later in the week. But often he didn't. Together, we learned this simple life-hack of delayed gratification.
Our children are growing up in a fast-food world with everything "on demand". Together, lets teach them that one of the keys to success is the ability to discipline yourself in the short term, in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term.