A dollar a week per child may seem like a scant allowance. But let me remind you that I have 5 children.
In class a few weeks ago, my 7 year old found out that children during the Industrial Revolution received $1 a week for their dangerous and long hours at work. When the children gasped at how these poor children received so little, my girl muttered under her breath, "That's all I get." The other moms looked at me and laughed.
But what do my kids really need to buy?
With their measly dollar, we go to a huge dollar store in Chantilly. You will not believe all that is offered there for just a buck. Using their dollar allowance, my kids have bought panda head earbuds, a radio, fake nails, eyeshadow, mascara, a wide array of toys, and costumes. I even saw a $1 pregnancy test by the register. That store has everything!
Plus, receiving so little gives them the opportunity to save up for more expensive prizes. Since we don't make it to the dollar store each week, they are pleasantly surprised when they realize that they've accumulated $3 or $5.
Added to gift money they might have received, the kids have bought big ticket items. For Christmas, the older two bought a nice Littlest Pet Shop tree house for their younger sisters. Usually, though, the kids buy video games.
Today the younger three and I ventured into a store called Dollar City in Fairfax. What a disappointment. The stench was enough to make me walk out as soon as I walked in. But then again, the stench kinda lured me with the promise of inexpensive merchandise. The smell was a rouse. I couldn't even find one item that wasn't over a dollar. I would rename that store to Dollars City.
The five and three year old have no concept of money and were grabbing anything in the store in hope that I would buy it. I had to pry a $1.19 fly swatter from the baby who was sure this was just a "doyar."
The 7 year old had better sense. Even though she couldn't bear to walk out of a store empty handed, she helped me convince the kids to leave the stinky, useless store. As little as their allowance might be, it still is teaching them to reject junk better than I could ever teach them.
I love this! I am becoming more convicted about how little my two do around the house (hence the state of it). I'm making a chore chart this weekend and sticking to it.
ReplyDeletei could have told you to STAY AWAY from Dollar City!!! LOL! That Chantilly Dollar Tree store is the best around, although the Dollar Tree at Picket will do in a pinch!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who gives her kids $1 per MONTH per YEAR OF AGE. This is pretty cool, because as her kids get older, they are required to create a budget, and cover more and more of their own expenses (clothing, recreation, etc.) So, your older kids would get more, but poor 'ole Pax would get less ;-) And even though the big kids get a "bigger allowance" she literally doesn't buy them clothes or pay for them at the movies, etc. You better believe her pre-teens are only shopping thrift-store, baby. It's a neat idea.