Lessons in Spending Money

Although it is summertime and we've pretty much nixed the idea of school at home during the summer (it was our original plan), we get to experience the freedom of something like unschooling. One valuable lesson that is better learned this way is about earning and spending money.

Bradford had about $6 and some change in his wallet from picking up aluminum cans last summer. It was burning a hole in his pocket. He was determined to find something at Target to buy and forego saving for the electric train he'd been talking about. We looked carefully at the Crayola and art stuff. We checked out Play-doh accessories and small Playmobil toys and Legos. He chose a small Lego set that had plans for three different train engines. It seems he spent his money wisely the first time. He builds and plays and rebuilds. He takes care to see that the pieces are together (for a 5 year old, anyway) and that it is out of McCance's reach. And he came outside with me the next evening to pick up sticks and pinecones in the yard to earn more money. We're still working on consistently identifying coins, but I know it will come.

McCance, of course, wanted to buy something too. He was a bit upset that his lonely dollar wouldn't buy the same Lego set as Bradford, but he was thrilled that it sufficiently covered a Snickers bar. No, it didn't last, but he enjoyed every gram of chocolate and sugar in it!