the value of a dollar
My friend Shannon down the street, taught her son Gage a very valuable lesson that I thought was very cool. And very old fashioned. It was through his very own lemonade stand. Remember those? He wanted to buy a certain toy that cost $8.00. I don't know about your kids, but mine thinks that money grows on trees. Actually they think that money is in my ATM card. They say "Just go to that machine." If they only knew that you had to have money in the bank to get it out of the machine. Anyway, back to the story. So, Shannon told Gage that he would have to earn the money. She told him some ways that he could do it and he picked the lemonade stand. He made the lemonade himself. He made the sign all by himself. He did it all. Scooped the ice, poured the lemonade and took your .50 too. All with a smile. He made out with $15.00. Not too bad, maybe I should start doing that on the side. He made $7.50 an hour (minus the cost of the lemonade of course.)
I just read terriblespellers' blog about #1 wanting to buy some legos. He seemed to have learned a lesson too. My kids want to stop at Micky D's almost everyday on the way home from school. They know that we only stop on Wednesdays because we have church and don't have a lot of time at school. We haven't started the whole allowance thing, but really need to look into it and figure out the best way to use it as a teaching tool. They will of course have to give some off the top back to Jesus. Aubrey asked me just the other how Jesus got the money from the church. But then he also asked me how he got out of my tummy........ummmmmm, let me answer the Jesus/money question first......."no, Mommy, did I come out of your mouth?"....... "I wish!"
I just read terriblespellers' blog about #1 wanting to buy some legos. He seemed to have learned a lesson too. My kids want to stop at Micky D's almost everyday on the way home from school. They know that we only stop on Wednesdays because we have church and don't have a lot of time at school. We haven't started the whole allowance thing, but really need to look into it and figure out the best way to use it as a teaching tool. They will of course have to give some off the top back to Jesus. Aubrey asked me just the other how Jesus got the money from the church. But then he also asked me how he got out of my tummy........ummmmmm, let me answer the Jesus/money question first......."no, Mommy, did I come out of your mouth?"....... "I wish!"
Cute. Every time I see kids in our neighborhood selling lemonade (which was quite often this summer!) I always stopped and then paid them double what they were asking. I just can't pass up the young entrepreneur!!!
What I did with Zack was give him a weekly allowance (not tied to chores) in the amount of his age. I think we started in Kindergarten $5 a week and then it went up with each birthday. We've continued that even now...except we haven't the past couple of weeks for having to put gas in his car! Geez! That will kill ya! Also, encourage the kids to sell any toys they don't play with anymore in a yard sale. We did that with Zack and let him keep the money and he used to make out like a bandit! Now, we have a stack of old video games, etc. waiting to be sold at our "soon to be" yard sale!
By the way---love the pics of the kids! They are so photogenic.
Posted by
Tracey |
9:35 PM
I remember those lemonade stands. We made out pretty good when there were houses going up in the neighborhood and the contruction workers would come by on the way home. We served grape Kool-aid when we ran out of lemonade.
Posted by
Allycat |
9:37 PM
That is a great story Michelle, then I looked at the pictures and I had Gage in my children's choir class last year! I am sure it has to be the same little guy, but I didn't know he lived down there by you! Small world. I know it teaches the kids a big lesson, but who in their right mind WOULDN'T buy lemonade from a sweet kid with a lemonade stand like that? Just adorable. Thanks for the story and the pictures! I love it!
Posted by
Dianne |
9:38 PM
Hey--I re-read your blog because the first time I thought it was Shannon Shelton. Then I was looking at the pictures and thought how much Gage looked like Barbie Benton's grandson...is it that Shannon? Duh...I'm a little slow...he is precious and getting so big! I remember when he was born!
Posted by
Tracey |
10:57 PM
We used to do the ol' lemonade/kool-aid stands growing up, too. Those were the days! My kids are always looking for ways to 'earn' money, but we don't do allowances either. My take is....I do the laundry. I cook for them. I clean for them. now that school is in session and they have a lot more responsibility doing that 'job', they don't have to do chores unless they completely trash a room, like the basement. They don't get paid for doing what they're supposed to do.
Now....above and beyond the call of duty. Yeah, I'll slip 'em a five, but beyond that....Nope!
And I will always believe that Gage and Bayleigh are two of 'the' most beautiful children on the planet. Right alongside mine.
Posted by
Jennifer |
10:17 AM
We went to a parenting seminar at FBC/J a few years ago and they also said you shouldn't pay kids to do chores - they should just do them because they are a member of the family. We give Carleigh $5.00 and Abbye $1.00 each week. Beth
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:22 PM
I have to get this off my screen before the kids see!!! Every year they did a lemonade stand (hot dogs too) at our neighborhood yard sale. We made them a booth out of plywood, painted it yellow, they were so cool. Couldn't fit it in the moving truck when we came here, so I gave it to my nephews. My kids don't know that yet. Lord help me the day they want to make lemonade again. Of cousre out here in boony-ville, there's no one to buy any - except the registered sex offender.
Posted by
JL |
2:21 PM