Kids think that money just grows on trees, don’t they? That’s part of their overall innocence, and their trust in the abundance of life. When they’re hungry, someone feeds them. Clean clothes magically show up in their dresser drawers. Toilet paper and soap magically appear in the bathroom. And so it’s pretty normal for kids to assume that Mommy and Daddy or Grandma or some loving adult can also buy them whatever they want. Why can’t we order pizza every night? Why can’t we have a new car like the neighbors? Mommy and Daddy are rich, aren’t they?

The late author and humorist Erma Bombeck’s young son once asked her the question, “Are we rich?” And she stopped to consider what her definition of rich is. See if you agree with her. She wrote:

“You’re rich when you can have eight people to di…