“Lately, my 13-year-old son had been acting a little… entitled. Acting like he’s too good to shop at Walmart or making snarky comments about kids at school who shop at the Goodwill, and quite a few other things. I don’t tolerate that.
Today, he took his own $20.00 to the Goodwill to buy clothes to wear the entire week to school. Whatever he found is what he would have to wear.
He isn’t happy and shed a few tears, but I firmly believe in 15 years he will look back and laugh at the day his mom made him shop at Goodwill. I want to teach my kids that money isn’t everything and if you have to degrade other people because of where they shop, then you too will shop there. Side note: I love the Goodwill!
My son learned a valuable lesson from this and I believe it is just another story we can add to our lives’ memory to look back on. I didn’t do this to punish him.
It wasn’t to show him that Goodwill isn’t a good place to shop. I did this to teach him that money and name brands don’t change who we are as people. He can still be the amazing, adorable, loved kid that he is WITHOUT the expensive stores!
I do realize that we are partly to blame for his expectancy of always having name brands. My husband and myself had our son when we were VERY young. We always strived to give him all the things we never had, and because of that, he has grown to expect these things.
My son and I have an amazing relationship. He tells me everything and trusts me wholeheartedly. I SOLEY did this to help my son become a better man.
All that matters is my son is completely 100% OK with what happened. My son has learned a valuable lesson from this AND is rockin’ his button up shirt he bought from the Goodwill with PRIDE today!”
His mother, Cierra Brittany Forney, told Love What Matters she believes that if all parents took the time to teach their children valuable lessons about what is important in life, the world would be a much better place:
“There are SO many children bullied for their clothing, where they live, the cars their parents drive, the way they look. It’s just heart wrenching. Although it’s late in his life, it’s NEVER too late to try to make a positive impact on our children. My son has worn his clothes he got at the Goodwill both school days this week and he looks great in them! He’s still the amazing, smart and kind young man, with or without the fancy department stores.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Cierra Brittany Forney of Georgia. Subscribe to our best love stories here.
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