Wednesday, November 13, 2013

"I Just Need More Money"

At bedtime tonight, Lucia happened to glance into Rhea's treasure drawer and spotted a couple of $1 bills and a $1 coin.  Immediately, she asked Rhea: "Rhea, did you take this from my treasure drawer ?  You know if you take my money that's STEALING!"
Rhea at first said she didn't steal the money, but when I asked her where it came from, she said: "From Lucia's drawer."
Her explanation: "I just need more money!  So I saw it in Lucia's drawer and took it to put in my piggy bank."
Lucia didn't get all that upset with her.  She took the money back and put it away, and then sat down on Rhea's bed where she was already tucked in for the night.  Lucia started stroking her hair gently and said, "Well, Rhea, if you need more money, then I can tell you what to do.  You need to get a JOB.  That's how you can earn money.  But no more stealing in the mean while, ok?"
Rhea: "But I already DO jobs in our house."
Lucia: "Yes, but jobs in our house are just, well, house jobs, like vacuuming.  What you need is a job OUTSIDE of our house, like... vacuuming a stranger's house.  Then you would get money for that.  Oh, and remember when I hired you for my pet sitting business?*  That's another way you could get money.  But no more stealing, ok?"
Rhea: "Ok."
*after a thoughtful pause*
Rhea: "Maybe tonight a nice robber will come.  I would like that.  A nice robber maybe would take the golden pennies out of his sack and put them in my treasure drawer for me.  Then I would have more money."
Lucia: "Yes, but he would probably take a treasure of yours in return.  So you would have to part with one of your treasures.  Would you like that?"
Rhea: "No."
Lucia:  "That's another way you could make more money!  You could trade a treasure or a toy, if someone wants to have it, for money!  You give them the toy, and they give you money!"

I wish I could've captured their entire conversation on video... it was the best.  I will let them continue their brainstorming, and when they have come up with the answer to "I Just Need More Money", I will be glad to help them make it happen (... for a commission). :-)

* The pet sitting business was one of Lucia's ideas one day. She made a sign, complete with our phone number, advertising her availability to pet sit.  In her head, she wanted the pets to be brought to our house, "gerbils, dogs, cats, mice, but not big pets."  Oh, and you had to call in advance so she could get everything ready (buy appropriate food, etc.)  The fee was x (I think $3?) for one day, and double that for more than one day.  (I tried to get her to understand that she could just charge a daily fee and that the total cost would then depend on how long she pet-sat, but she thought that figure would then get too expensive and deter her customers. :-) )  Then we lost the poster. :-(

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