Small change

Colter and Marissa counted the coins in their piggy-banks the other day. Each child had over #20.00---mostly in coins. They had a few dollar bills, but mostly they had quarters, dimes & nickels. Much of that money has come from doing favors and small odd-jobs for their siblings. Just today Ana asked Colter if he'd go out and start her car to warm it up, and please put the heater on high, too, thankyouverymuch. (And of course, he was proud-as-a-peacock to do it!) She gave him 2 quarters for that little favor. The littlest kids' fortune has grown as they eagerly carry things upstairs or downstairs, fetch things out of the car, make a big sister's bed, or do any other small chore or favor. Now don't get me wrong, the little kids will gladly help an older sibling (and Wayne & I, too) without pay and they quite frequently do. But it's just a sweet little reward and a thoughtful gesture for the child, from an appreciative older sibling.

We don't give allowances to our kids, since we firmly believe that kids ought to learn to work within the family unit, without expecting payment. We do, however, give rewards occasionally. A few dollar bills given to a child, as a surprise to them, or "just because" is greatly appreciated by the child. Once in awhile a trip into town where a special gift is bought and given to them...or an outing to the movie theater or some other place is always a special treat. Life in a large family is a lot of work, and everyone, even the youngest children, realize that they all must pitch in to accomplish things. Griping and complaining won't get them anywhere nor will waiting with their hand out for a payment. The kids have all learned those simple family rules at a young age.

I'm glad that our youngest kids still get excited about quarters, dimes and pocket-change. That's really the way it should be. When the time is right, and as they mature, they'll learn the realities of money...just the same as each of our older girls have learned...and they have each more than proven themselves to be very responsible adults in the area of both working and managing their finances.