Allowance

It’s possible this is overdue in coming, but we started an allowance for the kids only a few weeks ago. Allowance is paid on Saturday mornings and is dependent upon their completion of assigned task.

The boy earns $1 per week for reading a book of his choice to his sister every day. The girl earns 50 cents per week allowance for listening to her brother read. Doesn’t need to be a lengthy book (i.e., Andrew Lost, Jack and Annie), it can come from his sister’s library (i.e., Charlie and Lola, Fancy Nancy).

These two experienced difficulty in fostering a peaceful cohabitation over the holidays. The flare up over the Christmas break may be due to a coinciding two weeks off from school for the both of them. Too much time, was parlayed into too much teasing, arguing, rough play, and resultant crying. Scoldings get tiresome over time. At one point, intended as a brief alleviant, I said to the boy, “Read your sister a book, please.” Grudgingly, he did it. Proverbial lightbulb lit over my head.

We are two weeks strong into the reading / listening for allowance program. Hopeful.

[A Saturday morning sneak up on the kids while the boy is reading to his sister. (Recorded on my new flip Video gifted by my sister. Hey, thanks, this is really slick!) Incidentally, that is a great opening shot of me with the nostril-cam.]

[Video was removed by klem on 5/12/2009.]

-klem