It seems all it takes is a coin or two flipped from the right fingers to trigger a child’s drive for the good ole American green back. At least that’s how it happened for us. On a Saturday at the baseball field, with a couple of Corbin boys leading the way, the Smith boys got a taste of what it feels like to earn a little money.
It was almost an overnight epiphany. Just days before, a penny was something they might find lying on the ground in a parking lot. A nickel and a dime were two interchangeable pieces of “silver”, and a quarter was what they gave to God every Sunday. But the thought of these jingling pieces of metal holding any meaning or power of motivation for our two young boys wasn’t even a thought in my mind. It seems all it took was a little competition and a desire to be like the big boys to spark an interest in earning that dough.
Since their long, hot Saturday of chasing foul balls, the boys have compiled quite a collection. Each with a jar and their initials on the lid, they can be found scavenging under bleacher seats, scoping the ground near concession stands, and eye-balling the pavement around cars in the parking lots for a chance to add even a “broken” penny to their collections.
I, of course, have searched for various ways to use our children’s new-found obsession to create familial peace and domestic harmony. For example, there’s nothing worse than grocery shopping with two little boys who’d rather be doing anything other than walking quietly and politely through a store while being metaphorically chained to a metal box on wheels. But give them a list, a washable marker for checking it, and the promise of a monetary reward for doing a good job, and they are the next best thing to the personal shopper.
Loading and unloading the dishwasher is no longer a dreaded household chore. With wages lower than they’ve been in decades, I can get this detested duty hired out for a measly quarter. And if it happens to be a laundry and trash day, the three year old is quite adept at collecting, sorting, and shooting those clothes into the washer tub, as well as hauling the bathroom trash to the kitchen. With all of fifty cents going to the lucky helper, the price is just about right.
I’ll not say that they completely understand the concept of this money business, but I can tell that they are both trying to figure the whole thing out on their own. Early one morning, Coop decided he’d ask a few of his unanswered questions concerning the tiny wad he’d collected in his jar. Looking at his one and only dollar bill, he asked, “Mom, who is the man on the money?”
Both proud and amazed that I could answer his question, I said, “It is George Washington. He was the first President of the United States.” The second bit of information seemed really pretty useless to him, but this Washington, fellow, now that had him intrigued.
“Where is he now?” he asked. “Well, he is no longer living,” I tried to explain. But the child wanted more. “When did he die? How did he die? Where is he now?”
Hmm. Well. Let me see. I must say, the details of my Presidential history pretty much ended with, “I don’t know, son, but I know he’s dead.” After a few more questions about “What is the pyramid?” and “Why is there only one eye?” and “How does the eagle fly holding all that stuff in his feet?“ I finally agreed that I’d have to look further into this money matter and get back to him with more legitimate answers.
Brisco was a bit more satisfied with remaining completely oblivious. One Sunday morning during services, quarter in hand, he leaned over and asked me if the man on his quarter was God. Through my stifled guffaw, I said, “No, baby, it’s George Washington.” He just smiled and said, “Oh!”
All in all, it is decidedly a lot easier to introduce them to the coinage when they’re small. They’re learning to master the skill of counting, but they don’t yet know the difference between a penny and a quarter. Cooper will dump his jar at random and “count his monies.” He has no idea the dollar amount he has accumulated, but when he has finished counting, he’ll shout, “Mom! I’ve got 59 monies!”
And dollar bills don’t make a fun sound when they fall into a jar, so for now, at least, our green is secure.
It’s fun to watch the boys get excited about working hard. They seem to have a vague understanding that Daddy works hard so he can provide for our family, and they are trying hard to follow suit. Brisco offered to take his money to the store and help pay for the groceries. And there’s really nothing more satisfying than having your four year old come to you and say, “Mom, I want to earn some money.”
I can’t wait to teach them to do windows!
And that’s All in a day’s work!
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