We are all money minded.

Since couple of months ago, I started giving the kids their monthly allowances or pocket money for them to make savings a habit.

They have 20 bucks each month and they are required to keep an accounts book on their expenses and a record of any other monies that they might get, like 10 cents for buying papa's newspaper, or finding a lucky 10 cents from a corner of our car or receiving 50 bucks angpow as bday pressie from popo etc.

Then there are some bonuses or deductions for their book keeping records exercise.

For making the effort and diligent in noting down the expenses and income.

For balance tally.

For saving all the money without spending any cents at all.

I told them, by the end of the year, they can spend 10% of their savings on whatever they want, and then maybe 10% doing some charity, and the rest to their bank account.

So, the kids have been getting rich, didi figured out not spending any money at all would be best, as he wouldn't need to write anything and another bonus for saving all his money. hmm... he's right, isn't he?

I suppose the plan can't be too perfect.

Then as time goes by, we are talking about paying for everything around here!

First, I was furious that didi had not been appreciating all his stationery I bought for him. So, I made it a house rule. I would only get their basic necessities for their schooling needs only once or twice a year, that's beginning and middle of the year. After which they have to buy whatever they need themselves from their own pocket money they saved. Like mechanical pencils (which keep disappearing), exercise books (which keep scribbled on for no kind of reason), pencil leads (which keep lying around on the floor waiting to be swept away), tumblers (which keep misplaced here or there somehow) and many others which they would have to take care and use wisely.

Once didi had no more leads, and wanted to take from korkor. They both fought and I played referee by saying korkor can sell one to him, if he needs it desperately. So korkor said ok, 1 lead 10 cents. Didi cried foul, saying that's too expensive. I told him, yeah, that's how things work. When there's a demand, anyone can ask for any price. He could have make money himself if he wants to. He reluctantly bought one from korkor and made sure he doesn't have any lead wastage. Sounds good, eh?

Later, while we were shopping, I asked him if he wants to buy some lead for himself. That time, he was more conscious of the price tag on all the different brands there are on the shelf. And he even started comparing those price with the bookshop's from his school, and think about which one is more value for money. Eventually, I showed him one pack of 4 cases which is a better value for money. Told him he needs to keep it safely and even make money if anyone wants to buy from him in desperate times, like he was before.

Another episode of charging money for some of their attitudes, which I am too exhausted to nag already, is when they spend more than 30 mins finishing their meals. Especially meimei. So, everytime they are over the allocated time, it's 50 cents. Another 10 mins, another 50 cents. Counts by the minutes, mind you, else how would they ever learn to eat faster! Meimei had so far, been poorer by few bucks from this whole exercise.

Last 2 days, after a whole 10 days off for the 2 younger kids, didi was VERY slow getting ready for school. I was too fed up again, and devised another punishment which includes money too! So I said, each morning, by 7.20, whoever holds up the rest of not leaving the house by that time, need to pay the other 2, 1 buck each! Wow! That sure made didi go so much faster!

But I wonder, with all these money talk and bargaining around the house, if there's any bad side effects not? Their eyes would only be seeing the $$ sign everywhere?

Sometimes, I tell them, family need to help each other too. If you feel like helping out without charging anything, you are doing a good deed and it's a favor that you would be appreciating when you need that back.

In the end, parenting is always so tough! Have to know where the balance is and don't tip over to one end all the time! That's the toughest part.