Keeping up...

It's already started and Grace is only in kindergarten - the keeping up with friends. I don't know why I didn't expect it yet, but I've been so surprised at how much Grace wants to be like her friends and do what they do and how much they compare with each other. I'm really thankful that Grace is friends with super nice kids who have great parents. I don't think anyone in her class is over-indulged (what do I know) but I know most of the parents from her class and they all seem pretty down to Earth, none show off at all, and none of them seem to care what others think too much.

Still, the kids get to school and they want to be like everyone else. I shouldn't be so surprised, who didn't want to be like everyone else at school when we were little? It started with simple things, like snacks. (reminds me of the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when she wants to have the same kind of lunch as the cool girls.) Grace all of a sudden asked to take snack-pack puddings to class. She wanted to take a spork to eat them with too. Come to find out, this is what her friend Eamon brings for his snack. Fine with me. Eat all the pudding you want.

Then, it moved onto little toys and things. All the boys she plays with like Star Wars and legos and pokemon. Guess what Grace likes? Star Wars and legos and pokemon. She has been a trend-setter herself though. I don't know it from her end, but I always have parents telling me how much their kids like Grace and that they wish they could "be like Grace Chapman" or do something because "Grace does it." There are definitely things about Grace that she comes up with first, so I'm not worried that she's a total follower either.

So, that brings us to our big day yesterday. After much waiting and saving and earning, Grace bought herself a Nintendo DSi. Because "everyone else has one." It's kind of true. The list of kids who have one pretty much covers the whole class - girls and boys. I guess Santa should have brought one of those instead of the ipod (which she does love too.) But, we didn't realize until the end of the school year that this was the "must-have toy for kindergarten and beyond. "

The DSi is not your dad's game boy folks. The gaming systems these days blow me away. It's basically an entire computer complete with wi fi connection, camera, and tons of other stuff (I thought you just put in a game cartridge and played Mario on Nintendo... shows you what I know!) These little things are also pretty spendy. There was no way I was going to go out and blow nearly $200 on a toy just because everyone else has one and she wants one.

So, David and I saw a golden opportunity to have Grace really work towards and earn something big for herself. She's been getting allowance since school started. She is actually pretty good at saving her money for stuff she wants. She saved for 4 months for a wii game she desperately wanted last year. However, how long are you supposed to make a 6 year old girl wait to earn something like this? At her allowance rate, it would take her about a year and a half to earn it. That's 1/4 of her life so far. Seems like too long to wait for a toy that she's excited to play with current friends. David didn't have to wait 1/4 of his life to buy the iphone he's getting tomorrow!

So, I told her I'd help her. I would donate a big chunk (still less than half the money) if she'd pay the rest. She already had about 1/4 of the cost saved, so the earning actually wouldn't take too long if she'd just be patient, collect a few months worth of allowance, and do a few things that I've been desperately wanting her to do, but she refuses to do (buckle herself in the car to name one.)

She started her saving and earning. She got a bonus for trying hard and learning to ride her bike on 2 wheels, she got little check marks for buckling herself in the car which added up to a few bucks in the end after months of doing it. She was about 4 bucks short yesterday when we started shopping online to see how much the system was really going to cost. So, for her last effort to earn her last few dollars, she cleaned up a TERRBILY messy playroom that was entirely made by her sister. I figured if she could clean up the mess that Hattie and friend made, we'd spot her the rest and let her get the system before school ended. (Yes folks, it's June 17th and she's still in SCHOOL! Last day next week!)

I have to admit. I am pretty impressed with how patient Grace has been to get this toy and how willing she was to pay for it herself as much as possible and basically do anything I asked if it meant another notch on her earning chart. There were many times in past weeks when she wanted to buy this or that and I reminded her that she'd have to hand over some DS savings for it and she instantly changed her mind.

She handed over all her dough last night, shook the last coins out of her piggy bank, and went to the store with her dad. She came home with a slick, blue, game thingy and is pretty darn happy about it. (too bad Hattie can't have one - she's pretty GREEN with envy.) David is worried that Grace will just turn around and want another expensive thing and I won't be able to help her like I did with this one. But, I think she's pretty content for now and I also think she realizes how much money it really did cost. Hopefully that will help her realize that not everything wanted can be bought, especially, not right away. Now, she's saving her money anyway for games! This could occupy her for quite a while. now...how do you tell her she's been playing it too long and needs to put it away! (actually, she's been good about that so far too.)

Good job Grace! I am so excited that you did such a good job saving your money and bought something you REALLY wanted with it.