Learning About Money

 (Here BB is crossing out "Lemonade" from his sign.  They were all sold out.)

C and I are pretty good parents, but one of the things we've never taught the the boys is the concept of money.  In fact, we don't really talk about anything money related.  For instance, if they want to buy a toy and we say no, we say that they have too many things or should wait for Christmas or wait until next time.  We don't make it about money.  I'm not saying this is good.  Or bad.  It's just how we've approached things since they were babies.

Since reading a new favorite Lemonade in Winter, the boys, especially BB, has been asking to set up a lemonade stand.  This is an American kid's right of passage but the "Spring" weather wasn't really cooperating.  Then one day the sun shone and the rest of the makings of our little lemonade stand came together.  Lemonade and limeade and some lemon cookies.  They made $18 and learned what it takes to earn money.  We went to the toy store later in the week to let them pick out what  to buy with their earnings.  I know some parents teach their kids about money early on - giving them gift cards to toy stores or referencing birthday monies they have to spend any way they like.  Maybe we will start doing some of this, especially when we're on trips or special outings and we seem to always come home with expensive toys we don't need.  But for day to day, I don't like this.  I still like to retain some control over the toys, books, and things that come into our house.  This way not everything is a plastic, battery-operated weapon.  This is how we have wooden blocks of all sorts, Magna-Tiles