[ashakes]

Originally Posted by ronsdiva

Right now I am lucky, my oldest is a boy, 14, who does not care what brands he is wearing. Give him an OSU Buckeye's shirt or jersey and his camo pants and he is a happy camper. I have been trying to take him to get a new pair of jeans for a year, he refuses, he like what he has and his only "extravagance" is he likes nice tennis shoes. Even then I am lucky as he is willing to look at sale items. He also wears a uniform to school. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My daughter is 6 months old, and I am going to have to watch out. I wanted a daughter for so long and it took so long to have her. I do want to raise her to know how to save and how to save for luxury or good quality items that will last a long time.

LOL, I just wanted to chime in and say I like your son already b/c he loves the Buckeyes. That's where I did my undergrad.

As for this topic, I had nice things growing up and I don't think it made me "fake". I'm still the nice girl that most everybody has grown to love lol, but I just carry a Chanel bag and wear CLs. I don't act snooty because of it though and anybody that knows me, regardless of their SES will tell you that. I don't talk down to people. And, I don't treat people like they are below me b/c they may not have the same amount of money I have or my family has. All of my items have been gifts or funded by me selling things from my collection. And, obviously there are tons of people that have way more money than myself or my family will ever have.

I'm 26, and in medical school and so I don't have time for a job right now, so therefore I don't have my own money other than what I get from selling goodies I no longer want or use. So, my parents fund my expensive taste. And, I will flat out admit that I'm spoiled too. lol

My nieces (4 & 6) dress in designer duds, but they are the sweetest girls you will ever meet too. They might be wearing a pair of TR jeans, but they aren't going to the girl next to them saying "my jeans are TR, what are yours?".

I have been raised very well and I'm very fortunate of the financial situation I am in and will be in on my own one day due to MY OWN hard work in school. Money doesn't buy you a pass in med school at least, I wish. lol

My parents have worked hard to provide for us so I don't see how it's a big deal that they spend $$$ on their family. My Dad has also been generous with many of his employees too and sent a couple of families on a week long cruise so he is just a giving kind of guy. As my Dad puts it, he can't die w/ all of his money. Granted, he also saves, but I'm just saying as long as everything else is taken care of education wise and living, then who cares how people decide to spend their money? It's not yours and these children certainly aren't yours? It's the parent's job to instill proper morals and values and I KNOW MY PARENTS HAVE DONE THAT WITH ALL OF US.

My closet is full of designer things, but I can guarantee that I appreciate every single thing that I have. I will readily admit that I'm spoiled, but I am thankful for everything I have and will continue to be.

[girliceclimber]

Let those teenagers get jobs and work for their designer goodies. BUT make them open a Roth IRA and contribute the full amount BEFORE they splurge. Every time I get my paycheck I remember the words of a member of this forum (whose name I unfortunately forgot) who said "it's important to pay yourself, because no one else will do it for you."
(end financial lecture... lol)
But, after that's taken care of... it's all fair game in my mind.

[lili_shop]

I am 17 years old, but turning 18 this end of the month. Here in my country in asia i don't think that there are a lot of teens carrying designer bags or wearing designer jeans or tops but but i know some of my friends do. Sometimes you just can't avoid it because like me i'm not skinny enough to fit into clothes (in asia, women are usually petites) , so i end up buying designer jeans or tops. Also i can't blame the way i am raised or in the environment i am raised. But i just don't get bags anytime i want, i get it when i did something good in school or birthdays or graduation. I know sometimes people say that teens having chanels and louis at this age are just spoiled and bratty but in my opinion it is just up with their parents becuase my parents always reminds us, me and my sisters, that a little luxury doesn't hurt and just be in moderation and be realistic (i know i had my chanel a little too early but i can't blame my parents for it because it's normal for my family).

But we are always reminded that we don't really have to be in designer outfits head to foot to be beautiful or fashionable...

[kuruma]

I do not care how wealthy the parent is, no child should ask for designer clothes or bags. Why you ask? Because it is not your money! You should be thankful for clothes and bags and shoes, and it's completely unacceptable to take these things for granted in favour of 'designer'. If you had earned that money yourself you'd realise that money doesn't fall from the sky and expensive things are actually involve a process of saving up for it. Plus no one needs designer articles, and teenagers, who aren't spending their own money, have no right to ask for more. The only thing they should ask for is what they need. I feel that any child who does ask for more is the most disrespectful, most appreciative manifestation ever alive.

I understand if your mother gave you a balenciaga for a your birthday or something, but asking for it is too much. A balenciaga is equal to my one month of survival.

I rarely jump to an absolute extreme, adamant belief on anything, but any parent who thinks their children should have anything that expensive is insane. I can only justify buying a designer bag for a child if the child, say, saved the lives of a family from a building that was burning or some other, similar incredible feat. Other than that I feel as if they simply need to be told to appreciate what they've got and that money doesn't just fall from the sky. Once you have your own money, do whatever the hell you want with it! Spoil yourself! You deserve it, having worked hard for your own items! Just be mindful of the consequences.

Also there was someone that said something about working hard at school... i'm sorry but real life is nothing like school. I don't feel as if that justifies getting a designer from your parents who do work for their money. When you fail you're homeless, not just moping over failed grades. I'm sorry if I sound horribly harsh but I just feel like a million teens out there today need a reality check and a hard throw back into reality.

[sarajane]

Well I am thanking my lucky stars that I'm in the UK where the kids wear school uniform.
It has to come from authorised school outfitters so everyone has the same sweatshirt etc. My elder son's school is incredibly strict - trainers are not allowed except for sport. Anyone wearing them instead of black school shoes is given bright blue plastic bags to wear over their trainers! Gets the message across pretty damn smartish.

[ms p]

joining tpf has opened my horizon widely to the different ways people lives. some are clothed only in what some will define as expensive high end products, and many others are raised in what many will define as accessible products. personally in my opinion all these pricing comprison are very subjective and the perceived value varies greatly from person to person.

i do not think it's appropriate to use physical or material goods as a direct correlation to someone's character. some are just more willing and able to afford.

young kids (below 15 year old) in my country studying in government school may not yet feel the need for designer goods but i've heard of the "need" of a nice mobile phone in order to fit in. the older kids (16-25 years old) are getting the trend of what this article described. i guess different generation will always have their own unique school trend, and like most economy things just get more pricy most of the time.

[ashakes]

Originally Posted by kuruma

I do not care how wealthy the parent is, no child should ask for designer clothes or bags. Why you ask? Because it is not your money! You should be thankful for clothes and bags and shoes, and it's completely unacceptable to take these things for granted in favour of 'designer'. I feel that any child who does ask for more is the most disrespectful, most appreciative manifestation ever alive.

any parent who thinks their children should have anything that expensive is insane.

Also there was someone that said something about working hard at school... i'm sorry but real life is nothing like school. I don't feel as if that justifies getting a designer from your parents who do work for their money.

So, if I ask my parents for something "designer", now I'm disrespectful and not appreciative of anything? Interesting. While this is your opinion, I feel that you have made children of parents that have worked hard sound like unappreciative little "bitches" for lack of a better word. Granted, some are, but there are others that are not.

In the end, it isn't your money to spend so why do you care how others spend it? They could give to many charities, education of their kids and grandkids, their 401K, stocks, money markets, generous gifts to employees, etc. Oh wait, my parents do do that and then some.

That is fine if you will not buy your kids designer things, nobody is asking you to or forcing you to or judging you for that matter, but I think it was rather ballsy of you to clump all kids that ask their parents for certain things as 'disrespectful and unappreciative'. I know at least that I am, so I guess in the end I don't really care what you think.

And with the comment working hard at school and getting a designer bag in return, well that is how their parents probably chose to reward them. Is there a book where it says what things are allowed to be given as "rewards" by parents? lol I think that is up to the parents to decide what they deem fit, not you or anybody else. Ultimately, it isn't your money they are spending. I agree though that school is nothing like "real life".

By the way, I'll be sure to tell my parents that you think they are insane.

[kuruma]

I did say gifts are fine... and if they choose to reward you with a designer bag as a gift, go ahead. But decking someone top to toe in designer to send them back to school? I say that's insane.

And yes, I do feel as if asking your parents for something designer is a bit much. If you ask for a bag, and they give you a designer bag, then fine. So be it. But forcing the issue, like I know some kids do, is not right and definitely isn't appreciative at all.

In the end, if you know perfectly well you're not part of the group i'm ranting about (unappreciative and so on so forth), don't be offended, simply because i'm not talking to you. If you truly appreciate your parents and what they do for you, if you feel that you truly have a legitimate reason to ask for a designer bag then go ahead. But you know, and I know, that some children are simply spoilt.

[ashakes]

Originally Posted by kuruma

I did say gifts are fine... and if they choose to reward you with a designer bag as a gift, go ahead. But decking someone top to toe in designer to send them back to school? I say that's insane.

And yes, I do feel as if asking your parents for something designer is a bit much. If you ask for a bag, and they give you a designer bag, then fine. So be it. But forcing the issue, like I know some kids do, is not right and definitely isn't appreciative at all.

In the end, if you know perfectly well you're not part of the group i'm ranting about (unappreciative and so on so forth), don't be offended, simply because i'm not talking to you. If you truly appreciate your parents and what they do for you, if you feel that you truly have a legitimate reason to ask for a designer bag then go ahead. But you know, and I know, that some children are simply spoilt.

Fair. Have you ever seen the show "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV? LOL Those are the kids I would GENERALLY refer to as disrespectful and unappreciative. One girl cried and basically bitched her Mom out on national television for getting substandard center pieces for the table.

[kuruma]

Originally Posted by ashakes

Fair. Have you ever seen the show "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV? LOL Those are the kids I would GENERALLY refer to as disrespectful and unappreciative. One girl cried and basically bitched her Mom out on national television for getting substandard center pieces for the table.

Oh dear lord... I agree I made a generalisation back there... I'm really referring to the bitching and the crying and the yelling.

Lol it's just tv, paris hilton, and the fact that I went to a snobby all girl's school made me see something like 100000000 spoilt brats to 1 appreciative girl and it just enraged me horribly. It had uniforms and even same bags, so it was ok, but sometimes we had free dress days for charity, and that's when the claws came out.

"Mum! My speedy is just not cool anymore, all the girls have one. I want that cherry blossom one."
"Mum I can't believe you're carrying chanel, I mean emma's mum has a birkin. Actually, I think i'd like to have the birkin"

True stories.

[Stophle]

This is also hugely dependent on demographics. There is an enormous concentration of people with a lot of money in Southern California..heck, in the entire state. I was born in San Diego, and lived there up until this year.

Because many of the parents have obscene amounts of money, they don't blink at spending obscene amounts of money on their children (for example, my cousin who has received anything from Seven jeans, to televisions, and even cars and an apartment as gifts from her parents). It's not bad, it's not good, it's just different because they have more money than other families, so they're able to afford that kind of lifestyle.

Now if you go away from the coast to places like Lakeside, it's more of a country place and people there don't have insane amounts of money, so you won't see this kind of thing. And here in Texas, where I live now, you will see this in Houston, or Dallas probably, but when you go out into the country (of which there is a lot), the parents and the kids will look at you like you're insane when you suggest anything more expensive than WalMart.

I'm sure this still happens away from the big cities, with kids dreaming of nicer things because that's what the kids on the OC wore, or on The Hills, or Newport Harbour, or whatever the new shows are that they like, but the concentration of it will be in the cities.

Money changes you. Once upon a time we all thought it was insane to spend thousands of dollars on a purse. Now, because we either have more money, or more of an obsession now than we did before, we barely blink at anything below a thousand dollars, it almost seems like a good deal. It's all perspective.

[ashakes]

Originally Posted by kuruma

"Mum! My speedy is just not cool anymore, all the girls have one. I want that cherry blossom one."
"Mum I can't believe you're carrying chanel, I mean emma's mum has a birkin. Actually, I think i'd like to have the birkin"

True stories.

LOL, I believe you.

[fatefullotus]

Oh gosh, I'm so late in the game on this one, but here in NYC, I detest taking the train right around 3:30pm because they are overrun with the high school set. Everytime this happens, I wonder if I was as obnoxious at that age to everyone else. They're loud, they're crass, they annoy other riders for their own enjoyment -- it can get really obnoxious.

And the clothing on these kids! I remember when back to school meant ONE clothing spree on my parents' credit card at the Gap. Now, I see little girls in Coach and Gucci, boys in Gucci and Prada sneakers. It really does make me wonder if they appreciate just how many hours of sweat and labor their parents put in to purchase them those things. I wonder if those parents are doing their children a disservice by indulging them in this manner. Of course, I generalize here. And it's not to say that these kids won't turn out to be the most respectable, loving, kind and productive of society in the future... It just is a bit jarring to me to see kids who make minimum wage or nothing at all wearing about $2K worth of clothing on them.

Reminds me of my cousin. She and I were born three months apart, but raised completely different. My first year in college, I was away from home and near her folks' place, so being that I was 16 at the time, my parents essentially made sure I ended up at my aunt and uncle's every weekend. At the time, I was doing work-study to earn my spending money, which I was completely happy with, even though it was a pitifully small amount. I was completely FLOORED one weekend when my aunt and uncle drove home a BRAND NEW FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE to surprise my cousin with for her 16th birthday... and she, in return, threw a tantrum (because it wasn't a brand new Mazda Miata, which she had her heart set on), refused to drive the car and locked herself in her room (which had a full bath, a balcony with french doors, and a well-stocked walk in closet, btw) for the entire weekend.

The next time I went to their place a few weeks later, a shiny, red Miata sat in the driveway.

Currently, that cousin is abroad working in the medical field making a base salary of $85K but STILL gets an "allowance" from mum and dad.