I’ve been taking the kids garage sale-ing nearly every week this fall. I figure what better way is there for kids to learn money, math, and financial management than to earn their money and then go out and buy stuff every week. Jed in particular has been a huge proponent of this plan, and I will say the kids have bought some pretty sweet new toys with their weekly coinage.
Last Friday Zoe had 25c in small change clutched in her sweaty, mashed up ziploc bag. She came over to me, thrilled with a small kaleidescope she’d found rummaging around in a box of miscellania. She wanted to know how much it cost, and I told her to go ask the lady running the sale. Before, this would have been a tremendously scary proposition, but the drive for money and toys will overcome all fears.
Zoe walked up to her. “How many dollars is this?”
“Twenty-five cents.”
She looked back up at me. “Is that all my money?”
“Yep.”
She frowned at the little bagged sack of coins in her palm. Then she looked at the kaleidescope. Then back at the coins. She turned to the woman.
“Hmmmm....Can I pay you....”
Pause.
“Can I pay you... one...?”
Muffling a laugh as I realized my daughter was bargaining to buy this toy for one cent, but couldn’t remember the name of her coins, I gently suggested she offer one dime, rather than one penny.
“One dime!” she offered generously and slid it across the table.
The lady, grinning widely, laughed at said “Little girl, you can just have it.”
“OK, here’s my dime.”
“No, little girl, you keep the dime and you keep the kaleidescope!”
Triumphantly, Zoe returned with bag of coins and kaleidescope in hand.
That’s my girl.
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