Pocket money or not to pocket money....

Who knew this topic would crop up before my eldest reached 6! But it has. And after possibly not enough discussion, we've agreed to give Hugh a small allowance each week in exchange for doing small chores (that he should just do anyway in my opinion) around the house. His jobs include setting the table for dinner, putting his clothes in the laundry, bringing his lunchbox and drink bottle to the kitchen after school and keeping his toys tidy. It sounds like a lot for a 5 year old to be responsible for when I write it all down like that, but I still think it's all quite reasonable to expect him to perform all these jobs in exchange for his $2 each week.

It all started well and Hugh was super-motivated in the beginning. He did all his jobs and was even asking if "there was anything else he could do?" for extra credit (aka money). He saved up his target amount of $25 in no time at all and made his first purchase at Myer with his wallet in hand, barely able to see over the store counter. It was a Nerf Gun he'd been saving up for. It has a motorised barrel and shoots 10 darts in incredibly fast fashion (I know first hand just how fast since I copped one in the eye at very close range!!). 

Sadly though, ever since he got the gun, his drive to earn more and do his jobs has waned. Not surprisingly in hindsight. I think we perhaps handled the whole pocket money situation quite badly. Our "deal" with him is that he has to save half his money, so since he's spent $25, he now has to save another $25 before he can shop again... And that was our mistake.

I found this amazing blogpost at Frugal-Mama today. It's written by 10 year old Sofia Suardi, and it's all about how pocket money works in her house. How much she gets, the rules about saving/spending etc and how she even has to log her money movements into a special book. It was a real eye-opener for me and has me thinking about revising the whole PM agreement. It's a grand opportunity to teach the boys really valuable lessons about how to handle money. Have a read of Sofia's post here and see what you think.

I'd really love to hear what happens at your place. Do your kids get an allowance? Tell me everything!

Kids eat well & win prizes

The Gutsy Challenge is a fabulous initiative setup by the GI Institute to raise money for digestive cancer research and get kids to eat healthy. I found out about it through my 4 year old (would you believe?) who was desperate to take part (I think his motivation was the t-shirts but never the matter because he ate more vegies that week than I could have ever imagined).

The concept: Kids have to eat 2 fruit and 4 vege every day for one week.

The deal is this: Sign up online and invite friends and family via email to sponsor you/your kiddo to do the challenge. Proceeds go to Gastro Intestinal Cancer Research. 

How you win: For every $10 you/your child raises, they get a "ticket" which can be traded for prizes. For instance, 1 ticket gets you a keyring and 100 tickets get you a Nintendo DSi. Good motivation huh?

When it starts: It all kicked off mid July and runs until the end of September so there's plenty of time to get involved. 

Who can do it: This one is open to residents outside Australia too - all sponsor pledges are made online by credit card and you can log and track your kiddo's progress on the site as well.

I'm very proud to say that my Mr 4 has already completed his challenge - I've never seen him eat so much green food! There's a great blog associated with the challenge as well that you should check out for inspired food/art ideas jump over here to check it out.

6 super-inspirational work areas for kids

1. A clear space makes way for a clear mind. And this room is clear. Maybe a little too clinical for my taste. Though I do love all that natural light, the ergo chairs and Eames coat hooks on the wall for pops of colour.

Play & Display. This combined study/play space is both functional and fun. I really like the way this family has chosen different fonts for each of the boys names - it gives their zone a subtle individual detail, and the built in storage system allows for plenty of display, and clever ideas like the extendable pull out desk/drawer keeps laptops tidily tucked away and safe from harm when the room is serving it's other purpose - for play. Great chair choice too!

Teaching good habits. It's never too early to get little ones into the routine of having a place to work. For pre-schoolers that work might just be colouring in or learning to write their name, but it's a good idea to encourage them to do these activities in a designated spot. After all, we teach our kids from an early age that eating happens at a table don't we? So the same should apply to good study/work habits. By creating a place for the kiddos to create now, you're setting them up to settle more easily into good study habits later - it'll be second nature to them....

Collaborative creativity. An open environment such as this is great for older kids close in age. The space created here is perfect for working together and I'm loving the idea of extending into the alcove behind the floor to ceiling storage. 

Creature comforts. This space is a great design for older kids and it puts me in mind of a contemporary library space. The natural, earthy tones make for a warm, inviting place to relax and study, and the oversized cushions on the floor create an area for friends to get together for group work or simply socialise.

Double duo. I love this idea - a double creative space for each child. Not only does it allow kidlets to spread themselves out when they're working, it also creates enough space for friends to join in the fun too! Be careful executing high storage in kids spaces though - high drawers and shelves above chairs and tables might be seen as an invitation for climbing...

 Via

Smart play in a bag

Another bit of genius to share with you today! Below are 2 simple games that I found on Pinterest. I tracked them back to their owner - here - and found a virtual treasure trove of educational activities you can make and do with your pre-schooler...

All of the games are designed to be stored in a ziplock bag keeping houses tidy and kidlets self-sufficient. I told you it was genius! Now I just need some free time to make a few....

This first one is great for colour learning. Trace around a plate and mark out however many segments you like - this one is based on 8 but you could easily add more or less segments to make the game harder or easier depending what stage your little ones are at...

And when you stumble across a good idea what do you do? Multiple applications! Same thing but number learning. .. It would also work for simple words with one missing letter and a picture - for instance, a pic of a cat and the letters "_at" on a segment with a "c" on one of your pegs... 

If you like these, make sure you hop over to Walking By The Way to check out the rest of her PreSchool Bags ideas...

Dirty kids = brainy kids?

Looks like a nightmare doesn't it? The thought of my boys playing in the mud like this send shivers up my spine. I'm consumed with images of them up all night with raging fevers and blocked noses, my laundry pile growing higher than it usually is, the mud being trodden through the house, the notion that if I let them do it once they'll want to do it every time there's a cloud in the sky... I even went so far last week during the rain, to leave my husband with instructions to make mud pies with them for an entertainment idea. Clearly he's just as horrified by the thought as I am and ignored my suggestion taking them to an indoor play centre instead.

But did you know researchers from the Kidsafe NSW Playground Advisory Unit have found that playing in the mud can make children smarter? Apparently! A new study has shown there is a positive side of soil-borne bacteria that is likely to be inhaled when children are playing outside. Fraser said soil bacteria in mud can also increase serotonin levels when inhaled, so it also reduces anxiety which ultimately can stimulate growth of certain neurons in the brain. The research was welcomed by Kidsafe NSW Playground Advisory Unit program manager Kate Fraser as another reason kids should be encouraged to get outside and get dirty. But Fraser also warned parents to be careful to choose the mud, because some mud can be contaminated with harmful bacteria. “As long as the safety direction is followed, then playing in the mud can be a great experience for children,” said Fraser.

Unfortunately a what's what list of good and bad mud wasn't supplied, but I'm guessing you just use commonsense and don't let them loose in mud that's been lying about for an extended period of time, is green, smelly or mud that comes with a public loo nearby etc. Colour me convinced. I'm giving it a go. Next wet day (which could be sooner than I'd like here in Sydney at the moment) we're into it. I'll be the mother taking deep breaths in the corner of the playground...

Image via. Story via

Kids with guns

Here's an interesting idea: Gun licenses for kids. Schools in New Zealand have devised a cunning plan to teach children about the consequences of guns by introducing a system where students need to take part in a gun safety education program to earn a license that allows them to play gun games. Kind of clever. Read more about it here.

Via Via