# 7 year old, acting sneaky, obsessed with money and things



## brokenheart (May 14, 2008)

I'm not sure what to do about this. My DD is obsessed with "getting stuff" and has been for a few years now. It is upsetting to me because I definitely don't have a consumeristic personality. I know everyone is different (and she really takes after her grandma!!














). But every goal she has is related to getting something. And she'll talk about it non-stop. As soon as she gets the item (ex: we buy it for her birthday or for a treat, or she saves money for it), she loves it for about a week and then she's on to the next "I need I need I need". Exhausting. It is like she's addicted to getting stuff.

I've tried giving her an allowance (but it is certainly not big enough to pay for all the stuff she thinks she needs), so it is a constant sense of frustration/disappointment. I've tried getting her to shift goals into _doing_ things (going swimming, taking a dance class, visiting a friend) rather than getting stuff, but that isn't working so well either. I also don't take her shopping unnecessarily (ex: to Toys r Us), but man this kid can find things to covet even at the grocery store.

So now, my problem. She's *obsessed* with $$. She wants to play with the money in my wallet. She almost salivates when I get money from the bank machine. Is this normal? At 7?? I don't remember caring one iota about money at that age. And now she's getting sneaky and even lying a bit. Example: she came and told me she found $5 in the back of the truck and she wants to keep it. Upon questionning, she admits that it was money in the front of the truck (which is clearly DH's). And she wants to keep it and is asking me to pleeeeease not tell him. Um, no.





















I am scared by the sneaky, devious attitude that has developed at an early age. I'm scared that by 12 she'll be sneaking out at night and stealing the car keys. Please help.

I'm trying not to over-react. I tell her things like: that is daddy's money and you have to give it back. We don't keep secrets from each other in our family. We don't take other people's things. Etc Etc. Not sure that any of it is getting through. (for what it is worth, she's a rather immature 7...not making excuses, but just explaining where we are at here).


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