Abe has been anxiously awaiting Lego Batman for his Wii. He has been counting down the days and been begging to go to Wal-Mart. He has also been begging to wash baseboards. Scrub down walls. Scrub the toilet with a toothbrush (just kidding on this one) fold laundry. Pick up dog pooh outside. Anything. Anything to earn a buck. So today, while we were standing in the game aisle he dropped the question.
"Mom! Will you PLEASE buy Batman for me and I can work it off???? PLEASE!!???"
Honestly, I would love to just get it for him. Then I remember the balance, actually lack thereof, in my checkbook.
I have a wonderful idea. Let's call Dad!
Sobering news. Dad has also seen our checkbook and so he told the little guy he could buy it after he had earned the money to pay for it himself. ALL the money. When he had cash in hand, then he could have it.
For the next 20 minutes in Wal-Mart I heard this:
"I will have to work 10 HOURS to earn enough money." longer - you forgot sales tax.
"You and dad are so lucky. You make so much money you can just buy anything you want." Exactly. Milk. Cereal. Karate. Health insurance. Piano. Do you think I ENJOY the grocery game?
"I only make $5 an hour!" When I was your age I walked uphill, in the snow, to school. BOTH WAYS! AND we didn't get paid for squat.
"Why can't I just go to the bank and get the money?" Where have you been! I am going to require you to watch 1 hour of CNN a day!
This evening, while I was at class, Randy took Abe to get some work done. When I got home I asked Randy how many hours Abe clocked. He said he actually worked about 30 minutes but he told Randy to put him down for 2 hours.
Wasn't it just yesterday that he told me he always tells the truth?
2 comments:
oH, Steph, this is one of my soapbox issues. We rip our kids off by giving them everything they want when they want it. Abe gets to appreciate it so much more by anticipating it, working for it and buying it for himself. Or, he'll find out by playing it at a friend's house that it's really not all that and he wants his money for something else instead. So many people don't get this!And you're right, someday he'll thank you - when he's not up to his eyeballs in debt like all his friends.
Thanks for the support! Move back here, right this minute!
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