Chores

My kids are accepting money from people at school, and they don't feel guilty one bit! Maybe it's because I give money at church once a week, and maybe they think they are helping me out by getting it back from some of their friends.



My son came home from school waving a dollar in his hand. Normally our kids don't have access to real dollar bills. Loose change, yes, whole dollars...no.



I proceeded to ask my son where he got the money, and the below conversation ensued:


I said son ( don't want in insert his real name due to fear of retribution from his first grade friends). "Why are you taking money from some of your classmates at school?" "Dad...these girls wanted to pay me a dollar?!" {the boy is becoming slightly agitated...} Of course I follow up with, "for what?" And his reply, "To push them on the swings!" Inside, I could not contain the laughter, if the wife also had heard this she also would be howling. I had to keep the straight face. I had to play the serious dad. "Son, (name again protected...ok its Mike) you can't take money from your friends." "But dad they wanted to pay me..." again chuckling inside..." Initially, I didn't think there would be to much harm here. The economy is tough, we could all use an extra buck now and then...but the better side of the lesson dad took over, not the to be confused with the lecture side of dad. "But Mike, we just don't charge our friends to do stuff for us." "How would you like it if you got pushed on the swings and your friends wanted a dollar then you don't have a dollar to give them. I don't think they would like that to much do you?!" "But dad, they wanted to pay me!" ...My boy can beat you down. I knew this type of conversation could continue on for at least 10 minutes, but it was bed time for him and I needed to put him to bed. "Mike, you want to make some money, lets have you start doing chores around the house. I have plenty of dollars to give you to help out with chores." "But Dad, you never put the chore list together that you said you were going to. 1 for the boy 0 for dad. "OK, Mike, let's start on the list this weekend....