Children can boost the economy

If Alan Greenspan needs something to stimulate the economy, he need look no further than my 12-year-old daughter.

Becca is constantly asking us for money.

She can't seem to leave the house without begging for a few dollars.

Scheduled to become a teenager on Friday, she's already discovered the joy of shopping and -- more importantly -- spending money.

I'm convinced that our economic engine has less to do with entrepreneurs and economic development officials, and far more to do with teenage girls who view shopping as the national pastime.

Of course, much of the spending can be credited to parents who provide the money in the first place.

I'm amazed how broke I am.

No sooner than I take some cash out of the ATM machine, my wallet is suddenly empty.

My wife, Joni, often experiences a similar situation.

Becca seems to have countless spending needs, everything from fast-food chicken tenders to church donations, school supplies, new clothes and movie tickets.

Whatever the occasion, there always seems to be something to buy and she would prefer to buy it with mom's and dad's money. Her money seems to mysteriously disappear.

When she's not out shopping, Becca is on the telephone with her girlfriends deciding on their next grand adventure.

She needs her own appointments secretary just to keep us informed of her busy schedule.

At times, it feels like our home is a weekend hotel for Becca and her friends. Of course, there's no room service and we don't charge for the lodging.

I've decided it's best these days to keep an empty wallet. That way Becca will have to ask her mom for money and I can feel like I have some control over our finances.

Otherwise, I feel like Becca has just opened the door on a horde of attacking barbarians like those depicted in a popular credit-card commercial. The only difference is she does it quicker and with no visible violence.

Certainly, it's becoming clear why so many Americans are in debt. Too many teenagers are spending parents' money.

But our economy depends on such spending -- as do local governments that rely heavily on sales taxes.

As I see it, teenagers are doing more than their share to prop up our economy.

Whole shopping districts would be shuttered if it weren't for the efforts of children like Becca.

No doubt, they all deserve awards from the chamber of commerce for their spending prowess.

At some point, it would be great if we could convince our children to leave their money -- and, more importantly, our money -- at home.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking of attaching a bungee cord to my cash. That way, it will come back to me every time Becca leaves the house.

At any rate, I'm certain that parenting will become even more costly as Becca rolls through her teenage years. By then we'll need to take out a large loan.

And then there's our younger daughter, Bailey. She'll be looking for a little spending cash herself in a few years.

Something tells me she won't be borrowing it from her sister.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.