I have started "bank accounts" for Max and Darwyn. Gus and I administer them. They pay very high interest. I hoped this would help to instill the value of saving in my children at an early age. But I'm coming to feel as though nature has more to do with saving than education. Max spends very little, makes very little, and most of the time, forgets money even exists. Darwyn wants to buy everything she sees.
Last week Darwyn was in the store with our new Au pair, Trudy. She saw a very life like doll and instantly wanted to purchase it. It cost $40. She does not have $40 dollars because she tends to spend her money. So, I told her if she wanted to buy this doll she would have to work to earn money. She immediately started pestering everyone in sight for jobs that they would pay her to do. She pulled weeds, stacked logs. emptied the dishwasher and picked grapes up off the deck. But after lots of hard work she was still nowhere near $40. Trudy had the bright idea that she could look for a similar doll on kijiji. She found one for just $15. Darwyn had $15.78 in her bank account.
Darwyn danced happily around the house singing "I'm going to buy it, buy it!" Then she and Trudy left promptly to go buy the doll. When Darwyn returned home she showed me the doll and beamed. "Mom," she declared, "I'm finally getting good at saving my money."
Well....I suppose money isn't worth much if you never spend it on what you love. Hopefully she loves this doll.
