Financial responsibility. It starts young. How young? Well, for Jeter it has already begun and I don't know exactly how we did it.
This morning Jeter informed me that he had a library fine at school. He was home sick Monday and Tuesday of last week and Monday was library day. When he returned to school on Wednesday he didn't think of it and no one reminded him. As a result, when he had library this week he was given a fine. Instead of sixty cents they only charged him forty cents - because technically he was out two days. He then told me that he took forty cents out of his bank in his room to pay for the fine.
Part of me wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault and to give him the forty cents. He is only seven and no one reminded him about his library book and the fact that he missed library day. But I stopped myself. He wasn't making excuses. He was accepting responsibility. I realized he needed to do this. Even though it was only forty cents - learning this now is ultimately an advantage to him and us.
Guess who is planning to add forty cents to Jeter's bank when he isn't around?
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5 comments:
Wow they charge at your school? That's harsh for kids. Our school just won't let you take out another book until you return the last one. If it takes too long they contact the parents. Unless the book is lost they don't hand out fines.
Wow, just still shocked. We would owe our school library tons of fines. With 3 now going to school trying to keep up with who has library and which book is who's is hard. Wow!
Our school is the same, at least for kindergarten, that you can't get another book until you bring the first one back.
This is interesting because the post I wrote last night and just put up now is about teaching children about money. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the topic.
I did not realize that they charged either (for elementary), but I don't think that is the point of this post. I think that it is fine that they charge - maybe the parents will make sure that their kids get their library book back!
I think that it is great what you did with Jeter - you are teaching him responsibility at a young age and both he, his teachers, and many other people in his life will have you to thank!
A wise way to handle it. Our school doesn't charge either.
But my email reminders from the public library stopped arriving in my inbox, and I was one day late two times... 27 books once and 25 books the other time... 52 books X 1 day X $0.25/day = $13.00! (Can you slip that into my bank when I'm not around?)
A friend of mine once told me that she thinks of library fines as simply a donation to the library. Wonder if I can claim it on my taxes?
perfect timing given the facts that this country has a serious probelm with fiscal responsibility. I heard the new movie, i.o.u.s.a, will really knock the socks off of you. I've been trying to teach people that each time I refinance them they can't comeback to me in 2-3 years and do a cash-out refinance; what we call using your home as if it is an ATM.
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