Why Isn’t Your Wish-List
Item a Good Idea?

If the DIMS SCORE® for a possible purchase or wish-list item isn’t 8 or greater, it won’t be recommended.

That doesn’t mean you can’t still ask for it, but before you do, you may want to try to boost your score by either doing a little more research or a little more thinking about whether or not the purchase you’re considering is really and truly age-appropriate and fully aligned with your values and your family’s values. Learn more below.

For Items

1. Is the item age-appropriate? Is this a typical purchase for someone your age? If not, why not?
2. Is the purchase aligned with your values? Does the item you’re buying support the ideas and beliefs you and your family consider essential and worth upholding? If it doesn’t, your parents won’t likely help pay for it.
3. Are you willing to spend some of your own money? This shows your parents how important a purchase is to you. Young people tend to spend their own money with more care than someone else’s!
4. Are you buying locally made or sold items? You can boost your DIMS SCORE® by buying from a local manufacturer or retailer. This can reduce your purchase’s carbon footprint (impact on the environment) and support local businesspeople.
5. Do you know the return policy? What’s your move if you change your mind? Some consumer decisions can’t be finalized until you get home. For example, Can you get your hiking gear into a new knapsack? Do the shoes work with the outfits you need them for? If you can’t return the item in question, is it worth the risk that it may not meet your needs? It’s best to know the return policy before making a purchase.
6. Do you know the warranty? What happens if your new headphones stop working within six months? What are the manufacturer’s rules for getting them replaced? Is the process complicated? Knowing the warranty for more expensive purchases, such as a new phone or bicycle, is particularly important.

For Experiences

1. Is the experience age-appropriate? Is this a typical experience for someone your age? If not, why not?
2. Is the experience aligned with your values? Does the event/ camp/ movie you want to attend support the ideas and beliefs you and your family consider essential and worth upholding? If it doesn’t, your parents won’t likely help pay for it.
3. Are you willing to spend some of your own money? This shows your parents how important a purchase is to you because young people tend to spend their own money with more care than someone else’s!
4. Do you know where and when the experience takes place? How can caregivers grant a request to go to a concert, rock climbing, or even the movies if they don’t know when and where the activity takes place? This lack of information lowers your DIMS SCORE®.
5. Can you get to the experience and back safely? Naturally, parents don’t favor events that lack safe and cost-effective transportation. Most parents are very happy to drive their children to and from events but may have to clear their schedules to do so, which is why you want to ask in advance.
6. Will this experience help you build a skill? Families appreciate when their young people learn life skills. So, if attending the event in question allows you to practice taking public transportation, reading a map, time management, or budgeting your allowance, your DIMS SCORE® can be slightly higher.