I HAVE never really thought about how the children of parents, who use a card to pay for everything, could be impacted until I gave my son-in-law a ten dollar note to pick up the Sunday papers for me, while I was on a recent weekend visit, and he was nipping out on the Sunday morning.
My eight-year-old granddaughter asked what it was and when my son-in-law replied it was money, both she and her five-year-old brother were intrigued.
They knew about coins, as they get them for pocket money, but it turns out they had never seen a note. Was it “real money?” they asked. Could you really use it to buy something? How do you get “paper” money? Where does it come from?
We explained that yes, it was real, it could be withdrawn from a bank, you could use it in a shop and if the item you bought cost less than five dollars you’d probably get a five dollar note with some coins in your change. “So there’s other paper moneys?” they asked.
My granddaughter had a good look at it, held it up to the light to check out the translucent section and, as my son-in-law explained that the different value notes were different colours she handed it back, and said it was “the most beautiful thing” she’d ever seen. Grandson then started wondering if coins were real money, seeing as they were not paper.
Sure, notes are plastic that looks more like paper these days, but why confuse them further. Anyway, they are fascinated with cash now because the notes are “so pretty”!
I use my card a lot, but still use cash too, because I can still see the validity of keeping cash in the system. In the event where some disaster or other causes almost everything to shut down, not having cash on you could leave you in a bind. I saw that myself during the bushfires of 2020 and was so glad I was carrying some. So no, I don’t support a cashless society, because I believe it still has its place.
But the response from my grandchildren to a ten dollar note was a bit of a moment. Their fascination was genuine and it was quite the talking point with them for a while. They asked a lot of questions.
I’m guessing this is what happens when children only see card transactions. Last year I saw a media post where a young girl was holding a five dollar note and wondering what to do with it and I thought “Oh for goodness sake! It’s money! You spend it! How could you not know that??!” But now, after the recent ten dollar note thingy with my grandchildren, I’m starting to wonder. Perhaps she really hadn’t any idea. I know that’s hard to believe, but then, I grew up with cash, and I’m guessing now that she didn’t. Like my granddaughter didn’t know that note was currency and you could spend it. Sort of makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Whatever, for now cash is still in circulation and it’s legal tender. Paying in cash avoids all those surcharges, so bypass businesses that refuse to accept it. Cash is still an essential.
And besides, it’s “so pretty!”
