Digital Habits
"Can I buy this skin? It's only a few dollars."
What to say
Start here
"Show me what it is. I'm not saying no right away, I just want to look at it with you before either of us decides."
Make the money real
"To the game that's a few dollars. To us it's a few dollars every single time, and the game has worked out that a small number never feels like a real one. So say it out loud in actual money, and then tell me if you still want it."
Give it a shape you both like
"Here's what I can do. You get an amount for the whole month for anything in the game store, and you pick what it goes on, and when it's gone it's gone. That way you're choosing rather than asking me twelve times, and I'm not the one saying no all day."
What not to say
"It's a waste of money on something that isn't even real." The skin is completely real to your kid, because everyone in the match can see it on their character, so this reads as you not understanding what they are actually buying.
Why this matters
These purchases are designed to be small enough to feel like nothing and frequent enough to add up, and arguing each one turns you into a vending machine that says no. A fixed monthly amount hands the decision to your kid and takes you out of the middle of it.
Follow-up questions
- "What does it actually do in the game?"
- "Would you still want it if none of your friends could see it?"
- "Would you rather have this one now or save for the bigger one?"