The Value of Money

Yesterday morning after the kids watched Strawberry Shortcake Elizabeth told me she wanted a Palace Pet. These are the latest creation by Disney and are the Princess' pets.  Oddly enough I've never seen these commercials on Disney Jr, but they sure are on Hub where they watch SS.  So I am immediately not thrilled that she is asking for something because she has seen it on TV.  Plus I know she knows two little friends who have a Palace Pet as well, but she didn't mention anything about that - thank goodness.  I can barely handle Sunday T-ball games I do not want to start the "she has it so I want it too" game!  I told her that if she wanted it she would have to use her own money.  I did some research for her so she could make an informed decision.  This was the breakdown:
Build A Bear Palace Pet
The Bear itself = $25
Scent (to make it smell good)= $3.50
Sound = $4
Outfit =$13-15
Shoes = $7.50 for two (they have 4 feet though)
Crown Set = $12

After discussing this with her and drawing her a diagram she decided she wanted all of that stuff (of course she did!) So to the piggy bank we go.  Surely she doesn't have $70 plus in her piggy.  Oh boy, the first two bills I pull out are $50's.  Ok, so she has the money for it, do I let her spend it? (and how did she get $100 in her piggy bank!)  It is her money after all but the problem is she has no concept of how much $50 is.  I am looking around the house trying to draw some kind of comparison that  will make sense to her and the best I can come up with is "I could buy 40 packages of hot dog for the cost of this Palace Pet!" Her response "Well I don't really like hot dogs, so that's not a problem for me!" I want her to be responsible with her money but I am really struggling on how to explain this.  I finally just  tell her that it is a lot of money for a stuffed animal, but it is her money so she can buy the Palace Pet, but she can only pick one accessory.  As you may have guessed Grant has been apart of all of this and his piggy is also spilled out on the ground and he is buying a Build A Bear too!  One thing is very clear- we must go to the bank!!! So I have them put their Build A Bear money aside and I tell them the rest is going to the bank.

At the bank I show them how they count the coins and how you earn interest and they are all quite impressed.  They just so happen to be having a youth "hunt for savings" program going on and because they made a deposit, they get to pick a trinket from the treasure chest.  Well they are really impressed now and the bank lady is really pumping them up for being such good savers.  I couldn't take it anymore, I finally had to tell her that they were spending the rest of their money on an over-priced stuffed animal! The bank manager walked up and encouraged them to come back anytime with more money and make a deposit - especially next Friday because they are having a big hoopla.  So any leftover change from the Build a Bear experience will be going back to the bank.  So thank you local bank for trying to teach my kids the importance of savings where we have thus far failed!! A small allowance program may be in their future :)

Grant: a lovely golden retriever  

Elizabeth: Cinderella's dog (she is giving it a bath)

Dozer and Pumpkin - welcome to our family!

They did have a lot of fun making them and I have a precious video of them making a wish when they put the heart in.   They were really into it, especially Grant - you have to love that.