When I rolled out Mommy Dollars, I posted a chart (below) on the bulletin board with lots of ways to earn and spend the new money. The boys checked it constantly. I can't match the formatting here in the blog -- it was hand-written. Since then, we've added to this system, but it's probably helpful to others to see where we started.
The Mommy Dollar Value Chart
(All salaries and prices are subject to change).
Things to buy, rent, and spend your money on:
40 - TV time
50 - go out for ice cream
10 - 10-minute sewing lesson
20 - 10-minute dog-walking lesson
2 - rent a watch ($50 deposit)
2 - extra library books (beyond the first 2)
1 - rent a normal seat at the dining room table (one week)
5 - rent a special seat at the dining room table (one week)
100 - rent Mom's seat at the dining room table (one week)
200 - beta fish
1 - play Othello with Mom
Ways to earn salaries and commissions*
* when Mama approves
20 - behave for the sitter/finish homework
1 - take out compost (or trash, or recycling)
5 - feed dog
10 - pick up dog poop
15 - make breakfast
25 - make dinner
5 - empty dishwasher
30 - clean and vacuum bedroom
300 - beat Mom at Othello
My boys can trade US currency with Mommy dollars at rates that I set. I am in charge. I set the rates. They can trade 100 Mommy dollars for 1 US dollar. Going backwards, they can trade 1 US dollar to get 50 Mommy dollars. This not only teaches them about exchange rates (for those days when they become international travelers), but it also makes it hard for them to swap birthday money for TV time.
I think this list is pretty funny, actually. I've been surprised at how often my boys have come to me with a $10 bill (mommy money) asking for sewing lessons -- I don't think I could have convinced them that sewing is fun before this, but now that they have to pay for it themselves, they think they're getting a great deal.
We also have much less arguing about who sits where at the table -- the boys rent their seat at the beginning of the week, and then they own their spots until the next weekend.
And for the record, I almost always beat the pants off of them at Othello, but once -- just once -- my oldest son beat me. And I paid up.
The Mommy Dollar Value Chart
(All salaries and prices are subject to change).
Things to buy, rent, and spend your money on:
40 - TV time
50 - go out for ice cream
10 - 10-minute sewing lesson
20 - 10-minute dog-walking lesson
2 - rent a watch ($50 deposit)
2 - extra library books (beyond the first 2)
1 - rent a normal seat at the dining room table (one week)
5 - rent a special seat at the dining room table (one week)
100 - rent Mom's seat at the dining room table (one week)
200 - beta fish
1 - play Othello with Mom
Ways to earn salaries and commissions*
* when Mama approves
20 - behave for the sitter/finish homework
1 - take out compost (or trash, or recycling)
5 - feed dog
10 - pick up dog poop
15 - make breakfast
25 - make dinner
5 - empty dishwasher
30 - clean and vacuum bedroom
300 - beat Mom at Othello
My boys can trade US currency with Mommy dollars at rates that I set. I am in charge. I set the rates. They can trade 100 Mommy dollars for 1 US dollar. Going backwards, they can trade 1 US dollar to get 50 Mommy dollars. This not only teaches them about exchange rates (for those days when they become international travelers), but it also makes it hard for them to swap birthday money for TV time.
I think this list is pretty funny, actually. I've been surprised at how often my boys have come to me with a $10 bill (mommy money) asking for sewing lessons -- I don't think I could have convinced them that sewing is fun before this, but now that they have to pay for it themselves, they think they're getting a great deal.
We also have much less arguing about who sits where at the table -- the boys rent their seat at the beginning of the week, and then they own their spots until the next weekend.
And for the record, I almost always beat the pants off of them at Othello, but once -- just once -- my oldest son beat me. And I paid up.
No comments:
Post a Comment