I've got a big old list of chores/life skills taped to my fridge, and this summer we'll be learning about 3 a week, then having regular "exams" to see if they remember how to do them. :)
Today it was washing the floors! Layla did a really great job right from the start. Finn...had...well, a unique approach. He also has very high estimations of the quality of his work, not founded in reality. ;) It's gonna be a fun summer!
This is also the summer of starting some financial literacy with the kids. I got Layla and Finn a "Money Savvy Pig" piggy bank from ebay.
The goal here is to teach them what sorts of things we need and want to do with money, other than just spend it on fun things for ourselves.
We had a talk today about how doing chores is just something we all have to do, because we're a family, and we live together, and we all need to help keep things clean. However, if they want to earn EXTRA money, they can ask me to do extra chores, and I'll have coins for them to put in their piggy banks after they are completed.
I think we may start giving them an allowance of $1 a week..or something small like that. They'll have to put it split up equally into each of the 4 categories, and there will be some guidelines on what they can do with each category, BUT one of my biggest goals here is also to give them enough money so they can make mistakes with it and learn from that now. I want them to blow all of their spend money on something lame, and then find something cooler to buy the next day...gosh those are lessons that only life can teach, am I right?? ;) Haha. Mean Mommy, yes. But this is going to be good, folks!
