Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Continuing Themes

At Christmas time I managed to recycle quite a few milk cartons in the form of Christmas wrapping paper and today my children worked hard to continue this recycling effort and made themselves a money box out of a milk carton. This money box also continues on with the theme from yesterday too in that it is for their egg money. I am trying to help the children understand the concept of saving.... which is a little difficult in a society which seems to throw money away on silly things all the time and in a society where most children don't have to work to get anything... including a university education (but that is another whinge for a rainy day....).
Back to the savings idea... today the children sold their first eggs to our neighbour. The plan is that whenever we have an excess of eggs they are able to sell them to anyone who wants them (I think I convinced them that 200 yen for a pack of 10 might be a little more realistic than 1,000 yen, which is what they were planning on selling them for!). The only condition on this is that the money goes into the money box and stays there for one year.... at which time they can count it and use it how they please. They won't become millionaires, but hopefully it will show them that by saving they can actually get better things than the horrible little gacha-gacha toys (sorry I can't say this in English....) or the cheap toys from the 100 yen shop that break after one day of playing.
If we increase our hens next year then I figure they will then need to pay for the hen's food etc. out of their profits too.... I'll have them making millions by the time they are 10 so I can retire to a life of leisure!

2 comments:

  1. Now this reminds me of mathletics - I think I will continue to be the runner. My children couldn't never do this - I would steal the money to pay for Charlie's sausages on a Friday!! (Fundraiser for school)!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now this reminds me of mathletics - I think I will continue to be the runner. My children couldn't never do this - I would steal the money to pay for Charlie's sausages on a Friday!! (Fundraiser for school)!!

    ReplyDelete