When our kids *finally* start to realize the real value of the dollar, it can stink for them, but it is a nice moment for the parents. My daughter will soon be 21. She has her first real job, and she loves it. She is working hard and making money. The delight she feels when she checks her bank account and sees her paychecks arrive is infectious. Of course, it makes me and her other parents, natural and step-, hearken back to "when we were her age" and times were different. I think her dad was in college. I was in college--kind of--but also working. Her stepdad was in the military, and I think her stepmom was in college. Not one of us, though, had free rides--we all either were paying for ourselves with jobs or jobs and loans and future debt, or in the case of my husband, Chris, serving our country. My girl has it pretty good--no bills as of yet, minimal chores, and not-quite a full-time job. Judge our parenting choices all you want--I do not want to hear it. We have reasons. :-)
:Let me back-up a bit--I remember when I was working and making money at first--and I finally got a babysitting job paying $4 an hour--those people were RICH, paying me that much. Here's my kid, working a retail job, making 3+ times that an hour. It's amazing. So--the other day she decided she wanted to get her hair colored--not from the grocery store--but really done right. She has thick, long, DARK, hair. You know where I am going with this if you've ever colored your hair--that is a two-step process, which means, expensive! She also wants an undercut--so kind of buzz cut under where she'd have a ponytail? Okay...so this is a serious undertaking. I told her about Ashley, who does my hair. And my daughter is all: can we do it this weekend?
Bless her heart. Adult lesson #1: When you have a good stylist, you book your next appointment before you leave your last.
Adult lesson #2: "How much do you think this will cost, Mom?" Is it bad that I kind of chuckled to myself? Probably $100. (I should have said 'at least'.)
We were texting. I think I felt the gasp. At that moment, I believe she went through some mental math and thought about how many hours it would take to pay for that hairdo.
Of course she still wants it...
And because I am a big old softy, I told her I would split it with her. (I know...I know!) She still learned something!