When you borrow, you need to pay back.

Salam,

I'm quite upset with what has happened lately in Fathini's school. NO...it's not because she's doing well in her study. Or she's having any disciplinary problems. It's just that some of her friends have been asking to borrow some money from her. She's kind and (maybe innocent too) because she wants to help her friends. But I think they were taking advantages on her. They asked some money from her and never paid back. She only told me what happened few days ago and I've warned her that if anybody ask to borrow some money again, just say "Sorry, I can't give you" or "No".

It's not about teaching Fathini to be "stingy" but this is about life's principal. I always tell Fathini that we have to be nice to people but this is not one the way to be nice especially those kids are not really from poor family. They just have the habit of asking money from other kids. I see this as a kind of "bullying". They pick on the easy prey like nice kid that seems rich. I don't really give a lot of pocket money to Fathini. She normally brings about RM5 per week. Sometimes she loves to bring some food from home, so she has extra money in her wallet.

We are monitoring the situation now, if it gets worse, I have to call and inform about this to Fathini's teachers. Let them handle the situation before it's too late. I might sound like a "bossy mum" but if something is wrong, we need to straighten this up before it gets worse. These kids might borrow only RM1 now, but as they grow older, the amount will increase.

Have any of you encountered this problem before?