Today, I ran out to get some sausage to make calzones. I had a lot of stuff left over from making a lasagna that needed to be used up and I figured that making dough was easy enough.
So, William and I took a run to the local big box store. He wanted to take a look around and see if there was anything he wanted to buy. So...he wandered off to the toy section, and I wandered off to the grocery aisle, with the agreement to meet up front.
Anyways, he was waiting for me. His hands were empty.
"Didn't see anything you wanted?"
"No," he said. "The shelves are pretty bare. You should have seen the Lego aisle."
"Well, it is just a few days past Christmas, and anyway, you have a lego set upstairs on your desk that you're in the middle of."
"I know," he said.
And we headed to the check out.
This might seem like a very unimportant conversation, but I'm here to tell you that inside, I was flipping cartwheels. Know why? If William has a dollar, he spends a dollar. The idea of just hanging on to your money, that you don't need to spend it as soon as it crosses your palm is an idea we have tried to get across to him for months now. Just last fall, we set him up with a bank account. When he earns money, he has to put some of it in his savings account. He gets to choose how much. It's a personal choice, but whatever he puts in, we match, which is quite an incentrive for him.
We've really hammered hard on financial responsibility, the importance of being sensible with your money, how to be thrifty, all of that, and sometimes it feels as if it is falling on deaf ears. Still. We feel like it is important to say it, important to model the behavior.
Today, William went to the store and could not find anything he wanted. He walked out of the store with the same $12 he walked in with. It is a first.
When we got to the car, I commented on it. "You know, just a few months ago, you'd have bought something, anything, just because you had money."
"Yeah," he said, "but if I don't spend it, I'll have more to spend next week."
I started the car. "I'm really proud of you. That was a mature thought process. Make sure you tell Grandpa, okay?"
Progress, eh?
ReplyDeleteCongrats Grandparents! Hooray! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteIt always feels good when they finally learn the lesson. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lesson more people need. I know it took me years to learn it.
Very well done!
ReplyDeleteSometimes kids have to reach a certain age of maturity before they take a realistic view of their money. It also helps when Grandma teaches them.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I know many adults who haven't learned that valuable lesson.
ReplyDeleteThere are people in our government who haven't learned that lesson yet! Well done, William.
ReplyDeleteYou've trained him well. But as per comment above, governments need to invest possibly borrowed money in society for short and long term benefit. The return in dollar terms is hard to quantify but it will be there, and society is all the better if the money is well spent and correctly targeted.
ReplyDeleteGood for William and good for you teaching him that! I did the same mental cartwheels earlier this week when my oldest daughter reported she couldn't find anything on Amazon to spend a gift certificate on.
ReplyDeleteA shrewd head on young shoulders. William will always have money in his wallet.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fine post about a maturing boy. I like it very much.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see he's thinking ahead!
ReplyDeleteProgress, as AC says. My 2nd youngest grandie told me she has three jars: save, spend and share ones.
ReplyDeleteWilliam is growing into a fine young man. Well done to you both. He is learning by watching rather than having it rammed down his throat.
ReplyDeleteMucinex at my house. Tastes awful!
ReplyDeleteBonnie in Minneapolis
We take the tablets. The mucinex really stops the wheezing, which is helpful when you're trying to sleep.
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