Money Wise
Three weeks after my grumpy father in law died the Mauritian received his inheritance; we were both so stunned by the amount that we invested the entire amount immediately before we were able to spend a cent. Afterward we both kept saying that we should have kept some aside to buy this or that or whatever, of course if we hadn’t acted so quickly we would’ve spent most of it with ease. In hind sight investing it all was a good thing it’s given us time to get used to having the money and really think about how we are going to use it or work it. It also got us thinking about providing for our children financially and teaching them the value of money. So we did what most parents do, we opened savings accounts for both the girls and we put a small amount in every payday. We also began to discuss when it was the right time to start giving the Butterfly pocket money and how much. The Mauritian was all for giving her a small amount every week regardless, I believed the only way she would appreciate the money was if she worked for it. We also disagreed on the amount, I thought the Mauritian was being far too generous he thought I was just being a meanie; he even took to calling me “Scrooge McDucklit.” So we couldn’t agree on how to approach the issue and therefore nothing was done about it. Leave it to the Butterfly to solve our problem for us!
About 3 months ago the Butterfly asked us if she could have a watch, I was rather taken aback by the request as I had no idea what had prompted it. My first response was that she was a bit young for a watch, but I was vetoed by the Mauritian who said he would get her one but first he would teach her how to tell the time. I’m not sure, but I think he thought he could teach her right then and there, now the Butterfly is an intelligent child but I think that’s expecting a little too much. The Mauritian is so enthusiastic about his daughter and her eagerness to learn and understand all sorts of things that he sometimes gets way ahead of himself and her. So there I was watching the Butterfly’s eyes glaze over and her mind begin to wonder while the Mauritian got more and more involved in his lesson when suddenly I had a light bulb moment. The moment the Mauritian paused for breath I told the Butterfly that she could have a watch but she would have to buy it with her own money. The Mauritian knew where I was going and told her we would give her “pocket money” which she would have to save up, but, I chimed in, she would have to work for it. Yes, agreed the Mauritian, she would have to listen to us all the time and not be naughty, no, I said, you have to make your bed every morning. The Mauritian says she’ll get an amount every day she makes her bed; I whipped out a star chart and told her she’d get a star every day and at the end of the week she would get a dollar which she can put into her piggy bank. The Mauritian told her he’d give her two dollars and then looked at me and said that one dollar was too little. I stubbornly continued to tell her that she would receive a dollar a week until her star chart was full then she could count the money in her piggy bank and buy whatever she wanted with that money.
Too my complete surprise the Butterfly took to the idea very easily, she liked the idea of the star chart and was quite happy to make her bed. The fact that I had to remake her bed while she was at school was completely lost to her, she just liked the idea of been rewarded for a job done. She understood from the start what was expected of her and what the reward was at the end. I of course was very impressed with myself for having thought about the start chart method and that I had “won” the argument and she was earning her “pocket money” not just getting it. Needless to say I was brought down a peg or six when I asked her if she understood what we were saying and she answered: “Yes Mum, I must make my bed every day and you will give me a star and when that line is full I get money for my piggy bank. When the whole chart is full I can buy my watch!” I then asked her if she remembered how much we would give her at the end of the week, she answered saying “Two dollars mum cos one dollar is too little!” as always just when I think I am one step ahead I end up ten steps behind.
The Butterfly’s enthusiasm for her star chart never waned, every morning she climbed out of bed and pulled up the duvet before coming to find me to give her a star. She did so well that after three weeks I added tiding her room every night before bedtime, no problem. All I had to do was remind her about getting a star and she was off to tidy up as best a four year old can. Another three weeks pass and she hasn’t missed a day, I was toying with the idea of adding another task to the list but decided against it, she was doing so well I really didn’t want to jinx it. What amazed me was that she never questioned why some weeks she got one “gold” coin and other times a mix of “gold” and “silver” coins, she just accepted that the amount I gave her was two dollars and took great delight in dropping it in her piggy bank. Every week she would count how many more weeks till she could buy her watch that never changed though I was sure once she was able to spend it she would change her mind and buy something else. I was to be proved wrong once again.
This Sunday just past we were as usual running late for church so all normal routine was thrown out the window. During mass the Butterfly suddenly realised she hadn’t made her bed, she was devastated: “But mum, now I won’t get my watch!” she cried. It took a bit of convincing but eventually she realised that she had all day to make her bed and she’d still get her star. Needless to say we were pulled out of church and not given a chance to stop and greet some people, the last star was very important. Strangely enough once she had her star and her money she was quite happy to be told we couldn’t go and buy her watch that day. Fast forward to Wednesday, the Mauritian has taken a day off work and it is therefore his job to fetch her from school. She was home maybe five minutes when she did her usual of going to the fridge to see if there were any “treats” for her when she noticed her star chart. She stood looking at it for a bit then said “Hey Mum, my star chart is full I can get my watch! Can we go now?” So off we went to “The Warehouse” we were taken straight to the watches where she reached up and took one: “This one Papa I love it!” After making sure that’s what she wanted we headed for the check out where she proudly told the cashier that she bought it all by herself then she opened her purse and tipped out $20 in small change. Not for a moment did she waiver from the purchase of that watch, she seemed to fully understand that to get the watch she had to give all her money and she was amazed that she even got some of her money back. Though I have not allowed her to wear her watch to school or to bed at night she has proudly worn it every moment she can and we have begun to teach her how to tell the time.
She asked me this morning if she could have another star chart, I asked her what she wanted to buy next and she said: “I think my Papa needs a watch too!”
About 3 months ago the Butterfly asked us if she could have a watch, I was rather taken aback by the request as I had no idea what had prompted it. My first response was that she was a bit young for a watch, but I was vetoed by the Mauritian who said he would get her one but first he would teach her how to tell the time. I’m not sure, but I think he thought he could teach her right then and there, now the Butterfly is an intelligent child but I think that’s expecting a little too much. The Mauritian is so enthusiastic about his daughter and her eagerness to learn and understand all sorts of things that he sometimes gets way ahead of himself and her. So there I was watching the Butterfly’s eyes glaze over and her mind begin to wonder while the Mauritian got more and more involved in his lesson when suddenly I had a light bulb moment. The moment the Mauritian paused for breath I told the Butterfly that she could have a watch but she would have to buy it with her own money. The Mauritian knew where I was going and told her we would give her “pocket money” which she would have to save up, but, I chimed in, she would have to work for it. Yes, agreed the Mauritian, she would have to listen to us all the time and not be naughty, no, I said, you have to make your bed every morning. The Mauritian says she’ll get an amount every day she makes her bed; I whipped out a star chart and told her she’d get a star every day and at the end of the week she would get a dollar which she can put into her piggy bank. The Mauritian told her he’d give her two dollars and then looked at me and said that one dollar was too little. I stubbornly continued to tell her that she would receive a dollar a week until her star chart was full then she could count the money in her piggy bank and buy whatever she wanted with that money.
Too my complete surprise the Butterfly took to the idea very easily, she liked the idea of the star chart and was quite happy to make her bed. The fact that I had to remake her bed while she was at school was completely lost to her, she just liked the idea of been rewarded for a job done. She understood from the start what was expected of her and what the reward was at the end. I of course was very impressed with myself for having thought about the start chart method and that I had “won” the argument and she was earning her “pocket money” not just getting it. Needless to say I was brought down a peg or six when I asked her if she understood what we were saying and she answered: “Yes Mum, I must make my bed every day and you will give me a star and when that line is full I get money for my piggy bank. When the whole chart is full I can buy my watch!” I then asked her if she remembered how much we would give her at the end of the week, she answered saying “Two dollars mum cos one dollar is too little!” as always just when I think I am one step ahead I end up ten steps behind.
The Butterfly’s enthusiasm for her star chart never waned, every morning she climbed out of bed and pulled up the duvet before coming to find me to give her a star. She did so well that after three weeks I added tiding her room every night before bedtime, no problem. All I had to do was remind her about getting a star and she was off to tidy up as best a four year old can. Another three weeks pass and she hasn’t missed a day, I was toying with the idea of adding another task to the list but decided against it, she was doing so well I really didn’t want to jinx it. What amazed me was that she never questioned why some weeks she got one “gold” coin and other times a mix of “gold” and “silver” coins, she just accepted that the amount I gave her was two dollars and took great delight in dropping it in her piggy bank. Every week she would count how many more weeks till she could buy her watch that never changed though I was sure once she was able to spend it she would change her mind and buy something else. I was to be proved wrong once again.
This Sunday just past we were as usual running late for church so all normal routine was thrown out the window. During mass the Butterfly suddenly realised she hadn’t made her bed, she was devastated: “But mum, now I won’t get my watch!” she cried. It took a bit of convincing but eventually she realised that she had all day to make her bed and she’d still get her star. Needless to say we were pulled out of church and not given a chance to stop and greet some people, the last star was very important. Strangely enough once she had her star and her money she was quite happy to be told we couldn’t go and buy her watch that day. Fast forward to Wednesday, the Mauritian has taken a day off work and it is therefore his job to fetch her from school. She was home maybe five minutes when she did her usual of going to the fridge to see if there were any “treats” for her when she noticed her star chart. She stood looking at it for a bit then said “Hey Mum, my star chart is full I can get my watch! Can we go now?” So off we went to “The Warehouse” we were taken straight to the watches where she reached up and took one: “This one Papa I love it!” After making sure that’s what she wanted we headed for the check out where she proudly told the cashier that she bought it all by herself then she opened her purse and tipped out $20 in small change. Not for a moment did she waiver from the purchase of that watch, she seemed to fully understand that to get the watch she had to give all her money and she was amazed that she even got some of her money back. Though I have not allowed her to wear her watch to school or to bed at night she has proudly worn it every moment she can and we have begun to teach her how to tell the time.
She asked me this morning if she could have another star chart, I asked her what she wanted to buy next and she said: “I think my Papa needs a watch too!”
Love the new watch, worth all the effort!!!!
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