So my system of teaching my kids about money is working. The oldest (almost 13 now) can’t wait to get a job and make money. The middle one was so excited about a field trip at school he woke up early, got ready so fast he was bored and decided to DO CHORES. Independently! I was so impressed I raised his allowance!
And the youngest (who’s managed to somehow inherit my ability to say the funniest things!) … well, he did this.
On the way home in the early am from a play date one Saturday (the kids think I go to the gym 7 days a week now at the crack of dawn before they get up.) I saw a garage sale sign at the end of our block. It listed video games as one of the things for sale. So when I got home I asked who wanted to walk down with me and see if they had anything to buy.
The oldest and the youngest agreed and the 3 of us trudged down the hill to see the wares of the garage sale. The oldest was disappointed that the video games were all for a system he didn’t have. But the youngest found a little water ring toss game he thought was cool.
“How much is this, Mom?”
“I don’t know, maybe you should ask them.”
Conor finds the teenage son selling the stuff and boldly interrupts.
“Excuse me, how much is this ring toss game?”
“Fifty cents.”
I watched Conor get crestfallen at the news and I grinned. ‘Cuz I knew it wasn’t what you would think. Most would assume he didn’t have enough money for the game. I knew he had several dollars in his wallet, but what he did not have was “fifty cents.”
“Do you give change?” He asked with just a worried note in his voice.
The guy heard, “Do you have change” and said, “Oh yea sure.”
Conor smiled big… just amazed at his good fortune!
You should see how excited he gets when he realizes he’d get a penny if he bought something for $1.99.. He’ll marvel, “They’ll GIVE me a penny!… For Free!”