But something fascinating happened when exams were approaching, I would go and buy new pens even when I did not need them. I didn't need pens or rough copy, but I'd still buy them. My old pens were working completely fine, but exams were coming, and something inside me needed to do something. A season where everything felt uncertain; exam panic and anxiety, what will parents say if I don't score enough? A new pen was one thing I could decide for myself.

In hindsight, I can see clearly that I was stressed about the exam. I had anxiety when anxiety wasn't something we talked about, but I couldn't name it. My parents would say things like "all the best for the exam," and that was the best motivating line they could come up with. And while all this time, my insides were crying. I didn't like exams to begin with, and the unnecessary stress that has been built around them in our country. I used to buy pens to comfort the anxiety I was feeling. It would give me temporary relief, but the underlying stress was still there. This was my way of controlling the stress I used to feel.

Today, things are different, but the underlying feeling still exists. I have seen youngsters ordering on Swiggy, making in-app purchases, and adding items to Amazon's cart. Today, living with underlying stress or any other unnamed emotion has become expensive. I did not have these alternatives, and hence I never explored them. But if I had access at that time, maybe things would have been very different. During exam season, this pattern can be seen more than at any other time of the year.

Boards or exams end, and the stress starts to lift. However, the habit remains in place. Now, when the same teen gets into a fight with their friend, or a teacher humiliates them, or they face rejection, the same pattern repeats. They come back home, buy something online that provides relief for a short time, and the cycle continues.

The message is simple: before you try to fix the behaviour, help your teen understand who they are with money. The Money Mindset Map helps in understanding where your teen currently stands in relation to money and what habits are preventing them from moving forward. As a progressive parent, you can take this 2-minute tool and guide your teen in a way that helps them move forward.