Growing up, I didn’t have an allowance. It’s not something my parents could have afforded to do. They did, however, instill terrific values and certainly encouraged and supported good work ethics. Though I’m sure it was a hardship for him, my father helped ensure that my paper route was completed (especially in rough weather conditions) and to this day, I’m grateful for all of their support and also financial wisdom they imparted via actions and advice.
My sons do not have ample opportunity, as I did, to take on a side job, mainly due to modernizations and the limitations of our rural location. They have grown up taking on small tasks to help with our farm and household chores, but now that they are older, they are certainly up to the challenge of contributing more and the rewards that come along with a job well done.
So when I first heard of the The Money Mammals For Your FAMILY! Kit, I thought it might offer some guidance and an opening to discuss money matters with my sons, as well as broach the subject of potentially establishing an allowance. It achieved exactly that.
We started off by watching the video and reading the included picture book “Joe the Monkey Saves for a Goal.” The content of each were geared towards a slightly younger audience, but my sons (10 and 12) were troopers and still enjoyed the lively lyrics in the DVD and the overall positive messages stuck.
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| The Money Mammals For Your FAMILY! Kit |
As they already had some funds in their piggy banks, we turned to the jars next and talked about the importance of saving, good spending habits, and charitable contributions. Our discussion lasted nearly an hour and I was thrilled to have a captivated audience and the chance to impart the culmination of many valuable lessons I’ve learned.
After our main discussion, we sat down together and formulated a plan for an allowance system that would help them understand the value of their contributions and the realization that hard work can pay off, without breaking “the bank of mom and dad” in the process!
For more information on the Money Mammals line of products, visit http://www.themoneymammalsstore.com
Disclosure: A Money Mammals Kit was provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are that of Rural Mom.
