Jeremy has been talking a lot about earning money, asking where money goes after you’ve earned it, and wondering how much things really cost. Though this has much to do with his vibrant curiosity, it also has to do with wanting to buy more Star Wars action figures and Legos.
He has approached Chuck and I separately with these questions and as far as I know we’re on the same page with our answers. Our boys don’t get an allowance for existing, nor do they get paid for doing everyday chores within their skill level and capacity (i.e., putting their own dirty clothes in the laundry basket is a given). However, we are happy to award the boys for going above and beyond what’s already expected. For example, Jeremy spent a solid hour in the front yard rearranging landscaping rocks per my request and I was happy to pay him for the labor.
More recently, however, he’s been talking about selling old toys to earn money, which is fine with me because I’m always happy to ditch clutter. In the car the other day we chatted casually – or at least I thought it was casual chatting – about selling his toys. The boys disappeared into their rooms when we got home while Chuck and I lounged on the back patio with the pets. Half an hour later, I find them on the curb in the front yard with a make-shift yard sale of hilariously over-priced toys. Chuck and I tried hard to maintain composure and be proud of their entrepreneurial spirit, but boy do they need a lesson in pricing!
(Jeremy is wearing his clown costume to help attract attention to the sale.)
Anyone care for a Buzz Lightyear and Woody? Only $16!
I was shocked to see Jackson’s Spiderman mask in the sale! He loves to wear costumes, so when I asked why he wanted to sell his mask (for $15, no less), he said it had a hole in it and couldn’t wear it anymore. The poor boy looked truly sad to part ways with the mask but he did so for the greater good of padding his brother’s bank account. 