Independence: Learning about Money

*** Please note that we do not receive commissions of any kind in regards to this post. The product mentioned in the post is simply a product that we have found useful. ***

In raising children, regardless of if they are neurodiverse or neurotypical, all parents just want their children to learn the skills to become independent as an adult - well that's what we want anyway!

One of the skills that Daddy Superhero and I are constantly teaching both little superheroes about is money handling skills.

As with most children, both little superheroes struggle with the concept of money - how to earn money, spending money, budgeting and saving money, and the fact that money doesn't grow on trees! 

A few years ago we introduced the concept of superhero bucks, and while both little superheroes seemed to grasp the concept, the superhero bucks just wasn't teaching them the budgeting skills that they both need to learn.

Early last year, we purchased a game called "Pocket Money." It is a little like Monopoly, but all themed around spending and earning money. The game box includes the game board, a dice, game pieces and pretend coins and notes that are similar size to the currency in Australia.

When we first introduced the game, both little superheroes immediately loved playing the game - and over a year on, they still love playing the game.

For L it's more about recognising the value of each of the coins and notes and that money values can look different, for example $4 can be made up using different monetary  denominations. We also work on his maths skills.

For O it's more about beginning to learn budgeting skills, as well mental maths skills in calculating how much change O would receive when "spending" money in the game.

And because we have fun while playing the game, neither of the little superheroes realise that they're actually learning and practising skills while having fun.

Cooking with Henry

A few weekends ago, L wanted to do some cooking with Henry - he saw a clip on YouTube of someone who made dog biscuits with their dog helping, 

So L and I sat at the computer and researched how to make simple dog biscuits. We found a few different recipes and L chose which recipe to use. We decided to change the recipe just a little, so the dog biscuits would be even yummier.

L then helped to write out a shopping list of the ingredients that we would need to make the biscuits. After checking the fridge and pantry, we went shopping and purchased the ingredients that we didn't already have.

Once we had gathered all of the ingredients and the kitchen utensils that we needed, L sat down with Henry (and myself, I was the camera operator!) and started recording.

I'm not sure who had more fun, Henry or L. Cooking is a great skill to learn how to do and one that we encourage both little superheroes to have a go at. L has a food aversion to peanut butter, so it was great that he had a go at mixing the ingredients together, for him peanut butter is a big food smell to deal with.

He needed some assistance towards the end with forming the balls, so I stepped in. Henry took this as his opportunity to sneak a few uncooked biscuits off of the tray!!

And the verdict from Henry about how they tasted, delicious! He gobbled one down before I could get a photo of him with the biscuit.

L is currently looking for another recipe that he can make with Henry, but preferably one that doesn't have peanut butter in it!

Henry's Simple Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 cups of wholemeal or plain flour.

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of peanut butter (make sure that it doesn't contain xylotol)

Half a cup of chicken stock.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until they form a stiff dough.

3. Use your hands to form small balls of dough, about the size of a large marble. Flatten each ball onto the lined tray.

4. Bake in the oven for 18 to 20minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

5. Cool on a wire rack and once cooled store in an air tight onta8ner in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

What can our pets teach us?

If you've ever had a four legged friend as part of your family, you'll know just how great owning a pet can be.

We have a slight menagerie at home - a dog who thinks that she is a lot smaller than she actually is, a rabbit who thinks that she is a dog and a lorikeet who thinks that he's human! But that is a post for another day!

Both O and L have a special bond with all of our animals but especially with our over grown lap dog.

R loves people, but the two people most important to her are O and L. From the moment that we met R, O decided that she was her dog. Keep in mind that at that point in time, R was much larger and much heavier than O. 

When we first met R we were told that she wasn't a child friendly dog. Not quite sure if the previous owners had ever introduced R to children, but she was the complete opposite. R immediately dropped to the ground, crawled over to lay next to O and then started gingerly picking sticks out of O's hand to chew on. It really was love at first sight from both of them.

Then when L arrived, R seemed to have this second sense as to when he was distressed. Whenever L was in an emotional state, R would sit outside of the back door whimpering. R very quickly decided that it was her job to look over L. She was the one that could always bring a smile to his face as a baby. When all else failed, we would put L in the pram, and sit him at the back door to gaze at R. They would have their own little conversations - L making random sounds and R talking in the way that only Bull Terriers can!

We worked out very quickly after R became part of our family that she had an innate ability to calm both L and O when they were in an emotional state.

L and R or O and R or all three can often be found sitting in R's kennel or curled up on R's bed.

And R can quite often be found sleeping outside of O's bedroom window.

Through R, O and L are learning many skills that they can carry with them through the remainder of their lives.

R is teaching my little superheroes lessons in responsibility and compassion. O and L now know that R, and our rabbit and lorikeet, can't look after themselves, that they aren't able to help themselves to food. Every afternoon, my little superheroes are asked to feed our pets which they both usually happily do. They will sit outside and brush R and our rabbit. They worry about R and our rabbit on hot days - "can they pleeeaasse have an icy pole Mummy?"

R teaches O and L what forgiveness really means. R doesn't hold a grudge when O or L are in a cranky mood and don't want to be sociable. R forgives over and over. She is always there when the little superheroes need the all important puppy cuddles.

R teaches my little superheroes how to be calm. L can be in a highly agitated state and at times all it takes is a ten minute cuddle with R, and he once again becomes calm. 

R is teaching my little superheroes about loyalty and friendship. No matter if it is minutes, hours, or days (when we've been on holidays) R always greets the little superheroes with a huge amount of gusto. She is always there for them and they for her.

I've always known that animals can be used in a therapeutic roles, but since having children and being able to witness the magic that our pets are able to weave with my little superheroes, well it is just beautiful.

Superhero Bucks! How we are teaching our children about money.

Both O and L struggle with the concept of money. 

Much like other children their age, the concept that toys and other items cost money and that Mummy and Daddy Superhero do NOT have a money tree growing in the backyard causes some confusion and many an argument.

L especially struggles to understand why he can't just have what we wants, when he wants it from the shops. Many a shopping trip has ended in tears because L has wanted a toy.

O understands the concept of money and will happily save up her hard earned cash for something that she wants to buy. She is very sweet and will always make sure that she has enough money to buy L something too.

Both O and L earn pocket money for helping around the house, but this in itself poses a problem.

L just likes to play with the money that he earns, and quite often he will end up losing his money, cue a meltdown when the money can not be found. He also doesn't understand that the larger the coin, the smaller the monetary value.

But and there is always a but....

We have a change fairy in our house, AKA little miss O, who when she spots spare change lying around, she will snaffle it and put it into her purse. 

So Daddy superhero and I have a theory that most of L's pocket money that he loses while he is playing with it, ends up in O's purse.

And then there is a issue of cards. Both O and L know that Mummy and Daddy use their money cards to pay for the shopping, but neither of them understand how the money gets onto the card.

Quite often if I tell O and L that I don't have any money for the item that they want, one or both of them will reply "just use your card!" If only it was that easy.

Mmmm what to do.

A while back one of my friends told me about an idea that she had spotted on Pinterest about creating Mummy Money to use with her own children.

So just recently after yet another meltdown from L about not being able to find his money, I decided to create something similar to see if I could teach O and L about saving money.

And so Superhero Bucks were born!

The idea is that when O and L complete their weekly chores, they will earn Superhero Bucks. If they complete all of their chores, they will be given 5 Superhero Bucks. If they only complete a few of their chores, which is invariably what happens, they will be given 2 Superhero Bucks.

So that there is no confusion as to which Superhero Bucks belong to which child - L's Superhero Bucks have male superheroes on them, O's have female superheroes on them.

Once they have their Superhero Bucks in their hot little hands, they can either spend them at Mummy and Daddy's Shop or they can save them up for a larger reward.

Mummy and Daddy's Shop is a plastic box with a variety of small toys and other reward vouchers in it - toy cars, Shopkins, Ooshies and other small items that O and L like as well as vouchers for to go to a movie or a coffee date with Mum or Dad. Each item in the box is worth a different value of Superhero Bucks.

The idea is that by using Superhero Bucks this will hopefully assist to teach O and L about saving for something that they want.

At the and of each week they can calculate how much Superhero Bucks they have earnt, how much they have saved and how much they need to save for whatever they want to buy.

Using the Superhero Bucks, we are teaching the little superheroes that to earn money, you have to do something - in this case chores around the house. They will be able to see their "money" building up over time but also disappearing if they choose to spend it at Mummy and Daddy's shop.

I am also hoping that they will both understand that to get something that they want, that they need to spend money.

Ultimately my goal with the Superhero Bucks is to teach O and L the basics of money and to start building positive money habits with them now so that in the future they will be confident in making good financial decisions.

I want to teach my children how to save money, that they can choose to spend their money wisely and I want to show them that they can watch their money grow, just that it doesn't grow on trees!

It's never too early to start learning good money habits!

I'd love to hear about how you teach your children good money habits.