I told my son we can’t afford the sneakers. we can. i just won’t buy them.

Every kid at his school apparently has this one specific pair that costs more than my first month's rent did. He's fourteen and desperate for them.

So I told him they're just not in the budget right now, that we're "saving up." He believes it. Talks about it hopefully.

We are absolutely not saving up. The money exists. I just genuinely think fourteen is too young for shoes that expensive, and "we can't afford it" lands softer than "you don't deserve them yet." I've decided this lie is doing him more good than the truth would. Ask me again in a few years.