She's So Proud

My sweet Avery had a birthday party to go to today. So, as last minute as I am these days, we went shopping for the birthday present yesterday. Avery was very careful to pick out just the right toy for her friend. As we were on the wrapping paper aisle, we found some plain brown paper. I asked Avery if she would like to make her own wrapping paper. She was ecstatic about the idea. Once we got home, ate lunch, and put Braden down for a nap, it was time to create her masterpiece. Avery was very careful to decide what she wanted to draw, which colors she wanted to use, and how much space she wanted to take up. When she finished coloring, she wanted to help wrap. Once the packaging was complete, she proclaimed that she needed to have her picture taken with her work of art. She was so cute!

Selfless

Kenny has been teaching Dave Ramsey's financial advice to his Personal Finance class at school. Each day he comes home with new tidbits that we sometimes do and sometimes don't know. The other day's advice was about helping young children corellate hard work with earning money.

Avery has always been a big 'help' around the house, but recently her 'help' has turned into taking a few things off my list of things to do. I've always thought that kids need to do things around the house without expecting anything in return because that's just what being a part of a family means. Kenny's new advice was a bit interesting to me though because I do want her to be a hard worker and learn about how to earn money.

So, today I made a task chart. Not a chore chart....I don't like the word chore for some reason. When it was complete with things such as helping with laundry, taking dishes to sink after meals, setting the table, picking up toys, cleaning room, etc. I started to explain to her how it would work. Every time she did one of the things, she could put a sticker in the box under the days that she did them. At the end of the week we would count the stickers, and if there were a certain amount (still to be determined) then she could earn a little money to either save in her piggy bank or save to buy a little toy of some sort.

When I finished explaining, she had the normal questions, "how do we earn again?" "where do I put the stickers?" Once they were answered, I explained again the benefit and reward of earning.

This was her response.

"I don't want to save it momma."

(I suspected she wanted to buy something.)

"We need to sell it."

(Sell it? I continued to listen.)

"You know, we need to give it to other people because some people don't have things and aren't blessed like we are."

I'll let that speak for itself...