I’ve mentioned before about Havoc wasting spending his allowance on Pokemon cards and this weekend was no different in that respect. What was different was the amount of money he had available.
He only gets $2 a week as an allowance. $2. He’s 7. He doesn’t need more money, opportunities to spend it are limited and the whole purpose of an allowance at this point is to learn money management. He can buy ice cream at 50 cents a serving in the school cafeteria or he can save up 2 weeks for a $3.99 pack of cards.
And almost from the beginning Havoc has been an ‘eyes on the prize’ saver, working out just how long it will take him to buy whatever he wants and how much longer he is willing to wait in exchange for the occasional ice cream or candy bar.
Havoc was able to spend $20 replacing a scratched up Lego Batman Wii game for his brother last Xmas. He not only saves for himself, he buys for others.
A few weeks ago with about $12 in his wallet we went to target and he bought the $10.99 box of Pokemon cards. Mayhem, who does not get an allowance yet, had earned himself a $3.99 pack through helpfulness and good behavior. All the money was spent & we went home.
Saturday DH took the kids into town for lunch and a trip to Target, Havoc wanted to buy more Pokemon cards & by this point should have had $6-7 worth of allowance.
Imagine DH’s surprise when Havoc picks up the $20.99 box of of cards. Havoc says he has $23 to spend. DH calls me up and asks if Havoc had done a bunch of chores or something to earn the money while DH was out of town. Havoc has not lifted a finger around the house unless nagged to do so.
So where did he get the money?
Some 5th grader on the school bus paid Havoc $16 to draw a bunch of Bakugan pictures for him. He had a ‘how to draw bakugan book’ or something and on the way to and from school Havoc drew pictures out of it.
And the kid paid him $16 for doing it.
Now, on the one hand… Wow! My son - commercial artist at age 7! Way to go with that entrepreneurial spirit and talent.
On the other hand… WTF? A 5th grader, paying a 2nd grader $16 to draw some Bakugan figures from a book?
I mean…ok…but doesn’t it strike you just a bit odd? I can see it happening. I have no idea how much allowance this kid gets or makes in chores etc. He obviously thought it worth the money or he wouldn’t have offered to pay. Havoc likes drawing & would have drawn it anyway. He takes his Pokemon drawing book with him on the bus for something to do on the drive.
I guess because it’s just something that never occurred to me could be a commercial transaction among the elementary school set, I’m left wondering about it.
