Countless parents will agree that handing a credit card to a teen is comparable to combining gas and matches together, even when you do not want a fire. So, does that mean that you can't trust your youngsters with a credit card? Of course not! On the contrary, it's preferable to instruct your kids about credit card usage when they're young rather than have them face larger issues when they grow up because of a lack of understanding and appreciation of how credit cards can go awfully wrong. Remember that the behaviors acquired in childhood are those that stay with us forever.

A few suggestions from Privacy Matters 123 will help in educating your minor about credit card usage and, as a result, raising an adult who knows how to use a credit card shrewdly.

• Extravagant spending. Swiping a credit card doesn't generally involve much consideration. This is why you may debate harder about an overpriced pair of sneakers if you pay with cash; on the other hand, when you use a card, you merely hand over the charge card without any thought. Overspending is a great weakness when it comes to credit cards, and even grownups fall prey to this sin. To avoid this, it's a sound step to teach your child to think of the price of what they want to buy with something that they have been wishing for. For example, equate the high-priced pair of shoes to a portion of the price of the video game console that they really want. This assists minors in valuing the material cost of something instead of writing it off as just a swipe.

• Competitive spending. Children often indulge in excessive spending to show off among their peer group. If a kid has gone shopping with other youngsters, you can be sure that he or she will return having run through a lot more money than he or she would have otherwise. Warn your child about this tendency. Privacy Matters 123 sends word that talking about it will help the kid in understanding the madness and stupidity behind this kind of rivalry. Encourage them to shop based on their personal fund availability and requirements rather than spending to show off or to be one of the crowd.

• Payback. Although most minors realize that credit card charges have to be paid, they have a propensity to bury that detail in the excitement of the shopping spree. It's your chore to clue them in by repeatedly continuing to remind them. Call for your child to take into account how he or she will get the funds to remunerate the credit card company. Seemingly small charges on the credit card become behemoths when one is faced with having to pay off the charge. Plus, overdue payment bills and added interest owing to carried-over credit can become a two-headed devil in no time.

Needless to say, you should make a point to practice what you preach before instructing the child about how to use a credit card. Youngsters learn a lot more by following what they see rather than listening to what they're told. Another wise tip from Privacy Matters 123 is to let your kid use a debit card as a steppingstone to using a credit card.