Dimes (Day 17)

A few weeks before Mike left I began a new incentive program in our household for my big kids.

Dimes.

When they do something of note, like not get up in the middle of the night to tell me their finger hurts, or clean their room spit-spot, or play very well together, or any other behavior that I’d like to support… I take a dime from the jar and I throw it in their personal pot. I never take them away (as much as I want to sometimes for those not-so-shining-moments of theirs), but only put them in.

It’s been working rather well. (Fun tidbit… these pots were from our wedding. Our favors were tiny flowers planted in these pots with our initial stamped on them on each table. I’m so happy to be using a couple of them ten years later.)

On the weekend they get to take their pots down and count their dimes. This also serves as their allowance. Cool, huh?

Therefore enter the spend-give-save cans.

Now they each have  set of these.

So on the weekend they get their dimes and we talk about separating them into the appropriate cans. Then they practice while I oversee.

Then they have money to spend (and give and save, obviously).

We have been trying to do something like this with H for awhile longer than N. So he had more money to spend. He spotted some matchbox cars he fancied at King Soopers one day. A great start, I thought! So the next shopping trip he took along his wallet and he carefully chose two cars and purchased them all by himself.

It was a proud moment.

This girlie had to save a little longer. I suggested that her first purchase be for a coin purse so that she had something to carry her money in on a shopping trip. She liked that idea.

We spotted one at King Soopers, how handy! However she didn’t have enough money on the first spotting. That was a little bit hard for her. I resisted the VERY strong temptation to supplement from MY wallet so girlie could have what she wanted on the same day as brother.

But this goofball (who wouldn’t take a normal photo) patiently collected dimes for one more week, counted them up and this week she had enough!  Lets get three cheers for delayed gratification for four year olds!!

So today after church the four of us hauled into King Soopers for a few groceries and the well-earned “penny purse” as she calls it. (And don’t you DARE correct her). She chose her design, paid with her money and happily gathered her receipt.

Precious little kiddos learning life skills, gotta love it!