Jon learns to cancel his credit card.
July 14, 2010
Today my elder son, Jon, went to the local amusement park with his friends. Jon is always so proud to travel with his fellow fourteen-year-olds because none of them have credit cards, but he does. His friends have to pay cash when they buy their lunch at the amusement park, often cash they had to bum off of mom or dad. But Jon is learning important financial skills and using a credit card to buy his lunch.
Today, at the amusement park, Jon used his credit card to buy his lunch. Then he went on a roller coaster. And after the roller coaster ride , he realized he had lost his credit card. My son had the presence of mind to call me to ask me to cancel his card. But, I, myself, was at work and did not have access to the credit card number nor the telephone number to call, since I was at my office and not at home, where we keep such information.
I didn’t harass my son about losing his credit card. My children know that as soon as they realize that they are missing a credit card, they need to report it. Therefore, their liability is essentially nil, as discussed elsewhere in this blog. (Remember Hannah when she lost her credit card and didn’t tell us for over a month! See the entries on February 23rd and 24th, 2009.)
It is possible that Jon didn’t put his credit card back in his wallet and instead shoved it into his pocket and then freaked out after he decided to check when he got off the roller coaster. Who knows. I figure he’s learned the lesson because he called me right away. So I chose not to give him a hard time. Rather, I counseled him, instructing him that whomever got home first, him or me, would need to cancel the card.
More on that, tomorrow.
Justine
