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The Almighty Dollar

This boy of ours, he's doing well. He had a great day at school (no complaints/problems for three weeks! Yay medication that works!). He was really good for Grandma when I took the girl and the niece to the dentist (for the girl). When I got home, he was so lovey and good. We hung out, just the two of us, in the kitchen. He was playing his game, I was counting his piggy bank money. The kid has almost $30 in there.

This started us on the journey to learning how to save. He wants a Nintendo DS more than anything in this world right now. (All because the DS apparently has a lot of Mario games that the boy wants? I don't know.) I told him that they cost way more than the $30 he has saved up. He asked if he would have enough by the end of the school year and I said probably not. I did tell him that I would talk to Oma and Papa and see if they would match whatever he saves up and then we'll make up the rest. I saw the look of pure excitement and joy on his face and said to slow down. We have to see what we can save up first. Now he wants to do stuff and earn money for it. Who is this child and what has he done with my original?

I figure we can do the following for him:

25c everytime he takes his meds nicely (2x a day)
25c for making his bed (everyday)
$1 for brushing teeth (paid weekly)
$2 for doing a great job in school, all week (paid weekly)

I think that oughtta do him right. I mean it's less than $10 a week (unless my math blows and with pregnancy brain? high probability*) so it's not spoiling. Plus he learns the value of money, rewards, responsibilities and? And! He's working for something that he really, really, no, REALLY wants. Not some toy that Mama says he can't have if he's naughty and he doesn't care so he's gonna be a naughty as he wants to be (there's a song title in there somewhere, I just know it).

Anyway, I know I was one of those parents that said I wouldn't let my kids play video games until they were ten or eleven but this Mario stuff really helps him concentrate. I'm not going to make excuses for changing my mind. I don't have to. I'm the Mama.

Plus, the girl? Not really into the video games. The Princess one is gold for about ten minutes. Then she gets pissed and Fairyland or wherever the hell we are is no longer full of fairies and butterflies that poop rainbows.

I hate when that happens.

* I felt I had to check the math before I could send this out for the whole internet to see. It comes to $8.25/week and really? I can live with that. I know he's six but the chances of him earning the whole week's worth for the meds behaviour? Not likely. I give him some credit but I'm not naive to think the cash will deter all acting up. I'm not an idiot. Not today.

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