Trading in school | Imamother

amother

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Mon, Dec 12 2016, 11:51 am

My daughters (7 and 5) are very into trading stickers lately. I let them get an album and stickers and they earn some for prizes at home and in school.

I saw one set of stickers my daughter got as a prize was missing (not from me, but she was so proud of it). I asked her were it went and she showed me she traded it for a torn, half missing page.

I know I sound petty, but I really felt bad for her, she traded puffy, shiny $3 sheet in the package for a torn sheet that originally was 10 cents. and she has no clue. I felt so bad explaining it to her.

I told her she can't trade the stickers. She can look at them and show them to her friends.

I think trading in school is not great, nor is bringing in their collections to show off, but it sounds like all the girls are doing it (At Michael's families were buying sticker packages as if the stores were giving them away). She has some cheap sheets from Amazing Savings and the dollar store (like 10cents a sheet) but I don't want her trading those either because I'll feel horrible if a girl trades her nice stickers for those sheets and realizes later.

What do you think is the correct way to handle this, should I just let her do what she wants?

bigsis144

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 12:00 pm

I'm torn.

I understand your concern for your daughter from an emotional "I don't want anyone to take advantage of my child" perspective.

And from a "I want my child to grow up strong and able to take care of herself" side, I can see why a parent "educating" her about the worth of her own stickers may help your daughter make more informed choices and perhaps be more assertive when trading with other kids.

On the other hand, my gut instinct is to step back from anything resembling helicopter parenting. Unless my child gets upset about it and comes to me herself, and then it becomes a lesson in dealing with bullies/strong personalities, not sticker economics.

essie14

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 12:05 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

My gut is also to stay away from helicopter parenting. Kids like trading stickers. If your daughter is happy, stay out of it.
If she has the type of personality where people take advantage of her, that's a different story, perhaps. But let her learn to stick up for herself.

SixOfWands

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 12:09 pm

amother wrote:

Let it be.

She may like the cheap, torn sheet better that the puffy stickers. Or she may get a better deal next time around.

If she's getting taken advantage of, try to teach her negotiation skills, and how to drive a better bargain. Or set aside certain "special" things as "no trades." Then let her be. Worse things have happened than losing a $3 sheet of stickers.