01-23-08

Creating a Capitalist
By Nancy Carpenter

When you ask a child a simple question, you can never really predict the answer. For example:

“Ian, I’m going to the store. Do you need anything?” I ask.

“Well, can I have the change when you get back?” he replied.

My six-year-old is trying to save money for his latest passion; LEGOS. Although they are simply colorful little pieces of plastic that fasten together to make toys with various themes, it is a brilliant idea. Ian loves to follow the directions using both pictures and words and these construction sets have been proven to help fine motor development. However, LEGOS can become a relatively expensive hobby for such a young man with no income. The set he wants next costs $59.99!

To help give our son an appreciation for the value of a dollar, my husband and I decided Ian could do little chores to earn money for his new LEGO interest. Since he can’t really work the washer/dryer and he’s too short to put dishes away, we found that folding laundry is a feasible chore. Now, every morning Ian wants to know if I’m going to be doing laundry. Since I have no intention of doing laundry every day, I’m considering other chores for him. We refuse to pay him to do his homework, although he presented that idea to us right away.

While I search for more space in the house to display the latest LEGO creation, my husband convinces Ian that we will eventually have to take some of them apart and put them in bags or containers to build again in the future. Our son’s initial reaction to this concept was shock and dismay. The idea of living in a sort of LEGO land appeals to him. He studies the LEGO catalog daily and surfs the LEGO website. After he convinces his dad to order a new set on line, he hopes that every knock on the door is a UPS delivery. He’s constantly offering to do chores and he seems to enjoy counting his money. He has yet to visit the LEGO store at Tyson’s Corner. Oh, what a glorious day that will be!