Backfire

Back in July my oldest came to me with a wad of birthday money and gift cards in hand. She had decided what she was getting with all her birthday dough and couldn't wait to tell me. A Guinea Pig. Of course I immediately reminded her that just because it was her money she could not make a purchase without the consent of me and my husband. Now, not being an animal lover my first instinct was to say "No, absolutely not, under no circumstances was anyone bringing another creature into this house!" We already have a dog (the crazy one I've mentioned in previous posts) and a cat. We've also had several fish and a couple of frogs, none of which have lasted long. Mostly because in this house to get fed and watered you have to be able to voice your needs. Hence the reason the dog and cat are still around. (Plants don't stand a chance with us.)  But I knew from experience that an instant no would lead to crying, a meltdown, and persistent requests. No matter how many times I said the discussion was closed it would not be. So I postponed any discussion until I had a chance to think things through and talk with Roy.

Since I am a creative mother and I like to use every opportunity I can to teach my children, I came up with a perfect plan. Not only could I avoid bringing a new furry thing into my home but I could teach my daughter a valuable lesson about finances and responsibility. Here was my chance to show her that a pet was not a one time purchase but was a monthly expense and that expectations for showing she was serious would be high. So I came up with a set of requirements she had to meet before any such purchase could be made, reviewed them with Roy and then presented them to K. They were:

1. She must research guinea pigs, how to care for them, what they need as far as cages, toys etc with an estimate of costs. Plus a list of monthly expenses for the pet.
2. Prior to purchase she must have enough money to not only purchase the animal but all it's necessities and have 6 months of monthly expenses saved up.
3. She also needed to be able to show that each month for 6 months she could earn enough to set aside for giving, money for gifts and spending, savings, as well as the guinea pigs monthly expenses.
4. She must maintain a clean room and have an area kept clear for the animal's cage.
5. She had to keep her grades at a level that her father and I determined acceptable for each course.

I was betting that by the time she had earned enough to cover all the expenses (which I was hoping would take more than 6 months) and when she saw that earning money every month was not as easy as it sounded then her interest in the guinea pig would wane. Plus I was banking on the fact that she never keeps her room clean. In the end, she would have enough money to buy something else, would have learned a little about being a good financial steward, practiced more responsibility for herself and her room and most importantly, I would have a guinea pig free home.

Little did I know her determination would carry her through. The money part was actually much easier than I had hoped it would be. From her birthday and a babysitting job or two she quickly had enough to take care of the initial purchase.  And since our neighbors and their children love her, getting a well paid monthly job has been no trouble. By October she was set financially and still earning. She had money to buy Christmas, she had put money away for college, she had set aside some for giving and had 6 months of guinea pig expenses covered. Grades I thought would be an easy one for her, but one class was harder (especially the tests) than she or I had anticipated. Once receiving a less than acceptable grade in the first quarter, she quickly got to work and brought the grade up to standard, doing very well the second quarter. Of course maintaining a clean room has probably been the biggest challenge. Though it hasn't been perfect she has put a lot of effort into making her room presentable and since I'm not the best example I can let the room slide a little (but don't tell her that). By December I realized that my plan had backfired. Not only had she met all the requirements but her desire for this little furry creature had only grown more intense. And so two days after Christmas, Rodney joined our home.


 So parents I caution you! Though you should definitely take advantage of any opportunity you have to teach responsibility and financial stewardship, be careful who you bet against and choosing the stakes. You might lose!