The Love of Money

Green Bean earned his first commission two days ago. My Hero is leading Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University this fall, and last week Dave Ramsey talked about teaching your kids to handle money with wisdom. He recommends giving 3-5 year olds a clear container and as they earn dollars for doing small tasks, wadding up the bills and stuffing them in the jar so they can see the money pile up. Then taking an occasional trip to "Toys 'R' Them" to spend it.

Well, My Hero and I don't feel like our budget could sqeeze dollar bills out right now to support a new toy fund, and we want it to be a consistent, daily habit of cleaning up toys before bed and earning some money, so Green Bean earns a nickel each time he helps me clean up the toys before bed. I cleaned and took the label off a small glass spice jar, so it will fill up in a month or two. And we'll probably just take Green Bean to the $.88 isle in Wal-Mart now and then to choose his toy. Or the DOLLAR STORE...that would be so much better...a whole store to choose from! Start small, and we can always up his pay as he grows. We have lots of big dreams for My Hero's next big raise. (=

We explained the idea to Green Bean on Saturday morning and gave him the jar. He really wanted a nickel to put in it, but I told him he'd get one later. Then in the evening I reminded him of the jar for the nickel, and told him it was time to pick up the toys in his bedroom so he could earn that little silver disc. He helped, and when I gave him the nickel he was PROUD. He put it in the jar and shook it and took the top on and off and played with it, and really seemed to value it more because he'd earned it.

We did the same thing last evening, and he earned his second nickel. He held his jar with his two nickels and said, "Me weally wuv my nickels." I warned him that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, purely for My Hero's benefit, so he could look at me and shake his head and roll his eyes. Since at this point Green Bean has no idea that his two nickels could buy him... um, what could $.10 buy, anyway? I can't come up with one thing. We'll introduce the idea of spending the money once he's saved up a little more.