Children's spending habit with Octopus Card

I recently has come across an event that parents should pay attention to and I want to share with you.

Months ago, I with my neice who was about ten years old, went out for shopping. At that time, I paid for the stuff by credit card and Octopus Card and I did not have any idea of presenting an inappropriate perception to the little girl then.

After a week, the girl's mother discovered that her daughter who originally was always hungry for eating especially during dinna, refused to attend the dinna table. After enquiry, her mother was told that she was not hungry. Her mother was curious as the child was not given much of pocket money. Where is the source of finance ? The mother was puzzled.

Not until the time did her daughter inform her that the Octopus Card needed further re-charge just only a day or two after the last time money-added in the Card. Then, the truth surfaced.

My neice said that her uncle (myself) bought without paying cash but just presenting the cards to the suppliers and she also had one of them, the Octopus Card. She followed suit. At that time, she believed that this was the greatest discovery for making perchase without paying a cent. In that case, she did not need to ask her mother for money to buy the stuff she desired.

Upon understanding the event, I feel that adult should have a responsibility to explain our behaviours or our acts no matter we believe how normal they are, to children, who are indeed like a plain paper that conducts the actions of copy and paste of their senior's behaviours.

We do have a significant influence to our younsters. Please take care !