MyCouponsBlog | It's just as easy to love a rich man as it is a poor one!

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It's just as easy to love a rich man as it is a poor one!

mycoupons | 25 March, 2007 06:42

Today we did something that every parent dreads doing. We had no choice.

We went to Toys R Us.

With our children.

After they had stuffed their faces full at lunch.

Thirty minutes later, we were dragging two kicking, screaming lunatics by their arms into the parking lot. I will not be surprised if local police show up at our door later, after running a search of our license plate. To an outsider, it looked like we were kidnapping these two children. Putting my son in his car seat was like wrestling a lion into a too small cage.

We have a birthday party to attend tomorrow, we needed a gift. Toys R Us was next to the restaurant where we ate lunch. A much wiser choice would have been to get a gift from Home Depot or a tackle shop, but convenience won over reason.

Within seconds of walking inside, my daughter was asking for every toy she saw. My mother used to call me ‘BuymeLetmeGetme’ and the torch has now been passed.

Lauren was oooing and ahhing over the latest Barbie’s, board games and water guns. Her brother, not even two years old was pointing to everything Dora and yelling “DOWA!” at the top of his tiny lungs.

When my husband decided to explain to Lauren that we were here for her friend’s birthday present and not for her, she went into uber brat melt down mode.

I sprinted to the checkout with a gift for the birthday girl, and was reminded by my daughter that I NEVER buy her anything!

In the car, once the baby cried himself to sleep, I explained to Lauren that money is not never ending and just because we want things does not mean we get them. I explained that daddy goes to work and his boss gives him money for working. Lauren then told me she was ‘going to get a job!’

What a fabulous idea!! Five seemed old enough for an allowance, so as soon as we got home, I put her to work. I explained an allowance, and how she could save her money up for something special. I was so proud of myself for being so very ingenious!

First, I had her clean the playroom. Once she completed that task, she asked for money. I then had to explain that she is part of our family, and we all pitch in. I am not going to pay her to do things that are expected of her. She then asked what she could do to earn money, and I told her we needed to clean out her drawers and re-fold everything.

She was an eager participant for all of five minutes. Once her panties and socks were organized, she put out her hand. I explained that we had not finished working yet and bosses didn’t pay for half a job. A worker must finish all their work if they want to get paid. And since we need money to buy things we want, we must work hard.

Lauren, always full of gems, stated the obvious.

“But YOU don’t work mommy- and you have lots of nice stuff!”

Ahhh. Dear daughter. You have found the secret of life. Find an unsuspecting man to fall in love with you and pay your way through days of watching soap operas and eating Bon-Bons.

But, she is only five. Way too young for me to taint her with the truth.

So, we made a chart. I listed all of the chores, and the going rate for completing them.

I explained to Lauren that I would take her to the bank Monday morning and help her open an account. I told her she could put her allowance in her piggy bank for buying small things she wanted right away, or she could put it in the bank for big things she wanted in the future. My husband even offered to match her bank deposits dollar for dollar.

She seemed to grasp the concept and is very excited to open her bank account!

This was at 2:30 this afternoon. By 8:00 P.M., Lauren had earned $2.25. I was so proud of her!

I asked her at bedtime if she wanted to put the money in her piggy bank or deposit it in the bank (reminding her that if she put the money in the bank, daddy would match it and she would earn two FREE dollars!)

She pondered this for a minute and told me she decided to put it in her piggy bank. When I asked why, she explained that if she put it in the bank, she would miss it.

I realized that five is a little too young to explain compounding interest and parental matching plans. So when she fell asleep with her two dollars and one quarter safely inside of her piggy bank, I snuck in to her room and deposited two singles and a quarter.

I figure if we continue on this track, her room will stay clean, her laundry will remain put away, and she will be a millionaire by the time she is seventy-seven.

What do YOU do about allowance? I’d love to hear your ideas! Email me or leave comments here!

Until we meet again,

Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com