Yes, we're cheapskates. But what four-year-old needs more money than that? And besides, if we start with a small amount of money, that gives plenty of room for raises without us having to go broke.
We decided to start this for two reasons: to teach Rebekah about paying tithing and about saving for things she wants.
At first, Bekah just kept her money in her piggy bank and periodically handed her tithing envelope to the bishop on Sundays. But a few months ago, she decided to save her money for something specific: a Tiana doll.
For those not in the Disney princess loop (poor souls ... it's the ultimate loop to be a part of), Tiana is the protagonist in Disney's latest animated movie The Princess and the Frog. Bekah hadn't even seen the movie when she decided to save for Tiana, but you can be sure that when she finally saw it, it only fueled her ambition to save even more.
Tiana cost $11. Bekah still had weeks to go. To show her her progress and help her understand, I helped her count her money, told her how much she would have to earn to have enough, counted up the weeks that it would take to get the rest, and circled the date on her (Disney princess) calendar. At first, she faithfully crossed off each day. After a while, she seemed to forget.
Still, she continued with her chores as expected. And she continued to save her money and pay her tithing.
Then last Friday, Bekah looked at her calendar and said, "I can get Tiana on 2-7. Ma (that's what she's been calling me lately), when is 2-7?"
"It's tomorrow, Rebekah."
You would have thought I just told her that tomorrow was Christmas. She was so eager for the next day to come that when it finally did, she ran into our room at 7 a.m. (she knows she's not allowed in our room any earlier unless it's an emergency ... I need sleep, people!), ran back out, got dressed all on her own, and started asking when she could get Tiana.
Seth and I agreed that we could stop by Target on our way to skiing (see earlier post). We parked the car, went inside, walked straight to the Disney princess aisle, and let Bekah carry her doll to the cash register.
"This is all we're getting today," she announced to our cashier. Then she proceeded to list all the chores she had to do and how long she had to wait in order to make this purchase. He patiently listened to her and waited as I counted up all the bills and coins in Bekah's Elmo lunch box where she had emptied her piggy bank for the purpose of paying for her beloved Tiana.
As for her next chore money purchase, she is currently undecided. When you spend several months anticipating and then finally acquiring a princess doll, it's hard to even fathom what might come next.