A Three Year Old's Math!

Today is Saturday!  Saturday means chores!  My kids hate chores!  But they love getting their allowance :)  Today my kids got their allowance for February (I know a little late, but not as late as January).  My oldest three kids get five dollars a month... if they do their chores...  My younger two girls get a dollar each month (they don't really do chores like the older ones, but they sure want an allowance).  When I handed out January's allowance I gave Savannah and Catalina each a dollar bill.  They both wanted more and traded their ONE dollar bill for FOUR quarters.

During the month of February my kids missed a Saturday of chores...  So every on was docked on their allowance.  So Catalina and Savannah only got THREE quarters today.  After I handed out the kids allowance, I got paid...  They all owed me money (long story... maybe another blog), so Catalina ended up with just TWO quarters (and she really shouldn't have had any, but her brother was nice and paid for her).  But Catalina was not happy with just Two quarters, so she went to the bank of "JOSH JR." to fix the situation.

Catalina know Josh Jr. has money.  She has often snuck some from his room, and he has been know to "Bribe" her on occasion.  So Catalina took her money problem to him (because she could quickly see she was going no where with mom).  Her problem today was that she wanted a dollar.  Josh Jr. tried to patiently teach her that she needed FOUR quarters to make a dollar, but she's three.  And she wanted a dollar!  So the sweet kids that he is, Josh Jr. traded Cat a dollar for her TWO quarters...  You'd think that would make her happy...  Nope!  "It's not fair I gave you TWO quarters, I only got ONE dollar.  It's not fair!" 

This went on for a little while, with Josh Jr. STILL trying to teach Cat that ONE dollar was worth more than Two quarters.  Catalina then switched to needing ONE quarter and ONE dollar (and remember she only started with TWO quarters).  Josh Jr. finally caved and gave her back a quarter with the "promise" that next month when they get their allowance Cat would give him back the THREE quarters he had now given her.  You' think that would make her happy...  Nope!  "It's not fair!  I need TWO dollars!  I had TWO quarters, but I want TWO dollars instead"!!!

Poor Josh Jr.  There was no way to make Catalina happy.  And here he was loosing his money to please her, and she just wanted more.  I finally told Josh Jr. to go find Catalina's bank and take out TWO dollars, and then give back her TWO quarters that she started with.  Finally we got a happy Cat!  At this point Josh Jr. and I decided that Catalina is going to be rich!!!