The cutest Clown you will ever see!
Keagan the SuperHERO and his trusty...frog.
7 years ago
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
for the love... of money, power, and gingerbread men
of power:
One day a few weeks ago, the boys and I were at the beach. We'd taken some stories and read a few, and then we went and sat on some logs about three feet from the water and were watching the waves come closer and closer. I would say that for about 45 minutes Keagan, Kaleb and I just sat there. on a log. watching a glacier.
I was enthralled. Keagan and Kaleb on the other hand were sifting the sand through their hands and throwing it into the big bad ocean. A couple of people showed up at the beach with their dogs. (Up until then, we had had this whole beach to ourselves.) Well, we watch these people use a ball thrower to give their dogs a big thrill. Keagan watches this for about twenty minutes and asks me if he can throw the ball to the dogs. I told him that if he wanted to do that, he needed to go ask "that man" politely if he could throw the ball. (I'm trying to get him to talk to adults--this stems from my chronically shy childhood.) Well, Keagan watched for about another 10 minutes and when he had finally gotten up the courage to ask him, the man said "no."
This has bothered me for three weeks. I'll be honest, those ball throwers are kind of hard to use, I didn't expect that Keagan could even dislodge it from the gripper...but I didn't see the harm in letting him try--or even just letting him toss the ball! Why do people say "NO" to children just to get a power trip out of it! I mean seriously---it's a ball, and a dog.
of money:
So we are at the hardware store going to get a drain stopper for this original 1920's sink that I have in my kitchen. (What's worse than not having a dishwasher? not having a sink. I had to wait 7 days for the porcelain on this sink to dry. I digress.) OF COURSE, what is on the very first end isle right when we walk in? A ball thrower for dogs. Keagan grabs one and carries it around the entire store. Alright, I'm trying to be a good mom and teach my son about money right? I said, "Keagan, this costs money. Do you have any money?" He pulls 12 cents out of his pocket. I said "Well, I don't think that is enough, but we can go see." So I take him to the front to have HIM ask the clerk if his 12 cents will buy this twelve dollar item.
So here we are at the front of the store with this old man that could play Santa Clause in the Cole's Thanksgiving Day parade. Keagan asks, "Will my money buy this?" and he says "Do you have any money?" Once again, the little palm with two pennies and a dime. The old man pauses for a moment, long enough to make me really nervous. "Do you really want that?" he asks. Another long pause. Now I can't handle it and intervene, "It would help if we had a dog, wouldn't it Keagan," I hint "but maybe if you save your money and you really want that you can bring your money back and buy it."
of gingerbread men:
Now the old man takes Keagan back over and puts the thrower away and says, "How about this one?" "Naw." "How about this one?" He keeps showing Keagan these other dog toys and I'm really confused at what's going on by now. They come back and Keagan is holding an eleven dollar gingerbread man chew toy. He starts ringing me up for the $2.30 drain stopper and I say, "Keagan, maybe we can buy this later." --"Oh, no. That's his. It's clearly defective. I can't take money for it anyway. " (not true.) followed by the grandchildren story.
First of all, let me explain. There are not enough people like this incredibly generous hardware store owner--seriously, it was an eleven dollar dog toy. It was a very kind token; however, I was trying to bestow a powerful financial lesson, and now my son is carrying around a chew toy.
One day a few weeks ago, the boys and I were at the beach. We'd taken some stories and read a few, and then we went and sat on some logs about three feet from the water and were watching the waves come closer and closer. I would say that for about 45 minutes Keagan, Kaleb and I just sat there. on a log. watching a glacier.
I was enthralled. Keagan and Kaleb on the other hand were sifting the sand through their hands and throwing it into the big bad ocean. A couple of people showed up at the beach with their dogs. (Up until then, we had had this whole beach to ourselves.) Well, we watch these people use a ball thrower to give their dogs a big thrill. Keagan watches this for about twenty minutes and asks me if he can throw the ball to the dogs. I told him that if he wanted to do that, he needed to go ask "that man" politely if he could throw the ball. (I'm trying to get him to talk to adults--this stems from my chronically shy childhood.) Well, Keagan watched for about another 10 minutes and when he had finally gotten up the courage to ask him, the man said "no."
This has bothered me for three weeks. I'll be honest, those ball throwers are kind of hard to use, I didn't expect that Keagan could even dislodge it from the gripper...but I didn't see the harm in letting him try--or even just letting him toss the ball! Why do people say "NO" to children just to get a power trip out of it! I mean seriously---it's a ball, and a dog.
of money:
So we are at the hardware store going to get a drain stopper for this original 1920's sink that I have in my kitchen. (What's worse than not having a dishwasher? not having a sink. I had to wait 7 days for the porcelain on this sink to dry. I digress.) OF COURSE, what is on the very first end isle right when we walk in? A ball thrower for dogs. Keagan grabs one and carries it around the entire store. Alright, I'm trying to be a good mom and teach my son about money right? I said, "Keagan, this costs money. Do you have any money?" He pulls 12 cents out of his pocket. I said "Well, I don't think that is enough, but we can go see." So I take him to the front to have HIM ask the clerk if his 12 cents will buy this twelve dollar item.
So here we are at the front of the store with this old man that could play Santa Clause in the Cole's Thanksgiving Day parade. Keagan asks, "Will my money buy this?" and he says "Do you have any money?" Once again, the little palm with two pennies and a dime. The old man pauses for a moment, long enough to make me really nervous. "Do you really want that?" he asks. Another long pause. Now I can't handle it and intervene, "It would help if we had a dog, wouldn't it Keagan," I hint "but maybe if you save your money and you really want that you can bring your money back and buy it."
of gingerbread men:
Now the old man takes Keagan back over and puts the thrower away and says, "How about this one?" "Naw." "How about this one?" He keeps showing Keagan these other dog toys and I'm really confused at what's going on by now. They come back and Keagan is holding an eleven dollar gingerbread man chew toy. He starts ringing me up for the $2.30 drain stopper and I say, "Keagan, maybe we can buy this later." --"Oh, no. That's his. It's clearly defective. I can't take money for it anyway. " (not true.) followed by the grandchildren story.
First of all, let me explain. There are not enough people like this incredibly generous hardware store owner--seriously, it was an eleven dollar dog toy. It was a very kind token; however, I was trying to bestow a powerful financial lesson, and now my son is carrying around a chew toy.
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