Party Rockers

The boys get an allowance.

The idea is to give the boys their own money for doing things around the house - making their beds, feeding the pets, clearing the table, etc. For this they each get $2 a week, and they have control on what they spend it on.

I'm going to say that part again because it's the part this post has to do with.

They have control on how they spend their own money.

It's such a basic concept. And it seems so easy. But it is so, so, so very difficult.

First of all, they do not get to choose when they spend it. It's not like they can just drive on down to the store and buy some cracker jacks, they need to get to the store, which means convincing a parent (me) to take them to a store.  We don't live in a city. Any trip to a store will take an hour at least, and longer if it's crowded, or we can't decide on something, or can't find what it is we're looking for. The point being, taking the boys to the store is An Event.

And then once we get there, it is very very hard to relinquish control. The boys have to figure out what they can afford, first of all. And then from that pool of objects they usually pull out something... like... pokemon cards. We have, at last count, about 440,793 Pokemon cards already, all in different locations but mostly stuffed in the springs of our couch. I have given the boys boxes, bins, bags, and storage books, in an effort to convince them to pick them up, but they always seems to be on the floor on in the sink. So when they tell me this is what they want to get, I just want to scream "No! What are you, CRAZY?"

The same goes for poorly made plastic frisbees, erasers shaped like cats or food, and tiny stuffed animals that make noise.

But I have to let them buy these things. It's their money. All I can do it remind them that when I see these things on the floor of my house, I throw them away. The only things I try to restrict are food items (sweets) and things I find offensive (guns, guts, and gross language).

So when Nick asked for this Furby Party Rocker (ordered online, he paid me cash and I used points) I felt that I had to say yes. Then Andy wanted one, and he had just enough. And eventually Nate got one also.

These things don't have off buttons. They are smaller than normal furbies, and only have one personality. They like to 'wake up' at 4am. But they do this: sing in harmony.