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I don't know what to do here!
For about 3 weeks Jacob has been coming home asking for $1 to take to school to buy a 'smencil' (a smelly pencil). I've consistently refused simply b/c I'm sick of shoveling money out the door, and b/c the kid needs to learn he doesn't automatically get everything he wants. So, today he took a handful of change from the change bowl and bought one
. When I picked him up he showed me his smencil and told me Miss Neumann gave it to him (I'm sure she did - she has to buy get them for the kids - they're sold at lunchtime, which the kgarten doesn't have). I thought it odd that his teacher would buy one for everyone in the class - b/c they cost $1 each, so I figured I'd follow up with her. But before we even made it home, Jacob showed me his handful of change and told me that was what was left over after he bought his smencil. He didn't try to be sneaky about it or anything - in fact - I think he was proud that he managed to 'cut through the middle man' and realized he could directly get the money a different way.
I've taken the stupid thing away from him, but haven't decided what else to do. I made clear that the way he did this was NOT okay, and that he doesn't just get to take money from our home. He said "Okay - I should have asked before I took it." Yes - but I would have said no at the time ... as I had been all along. So I said "Maybe you could have asked if you could earn the money to buy a smencil."
I'm torn between letting him "earn" the smencil and then letting him have it, or just never giving it back to him. I don't think he realized he was being sneaky, or he wouldn't have outed himself in the car - which is the only reason I'm leaning towards letting him earn it.
For about 3 weeks Jacob has been coming home asking for $1 to take to school to buy a 'smencil' (a smelly pencil). I've consistently refused simply b/c I'm sick of shoveling money out the door, and b/c the kid needs to learn he doesn't automatically get everything he wants. So, today he took a handful of change from the change bowl and bought one
. When I picked him up he showed me his smencil and told me Miss Neumann gave it to him (I'm sure she did - she has to buy get them for the kids - they're sold at lunchtime, which the kgarten doesn't have). I thought it odd that his teacher would buy one for everyone in the class - b/c they cost $1 each, so I figured I'd follow up with her. But before we even made it home, Jacob showed me his handful of change and told me that was what was left over after he bought his smencil. He didn't try to be sneaky about it or anything - in fact - I think he was proud that he managed to 'cut through the middle man' and realized he could directly get the money a different way. I've taken the stupid thing away from him, but haven't decided what else to do. I made clear that the way he did this was NOT okay, and that he doesn't just get to take money from our home. He said "Okay - I should have asked before I took it." Yes - but I would have said no at the time ... as I had been all along. So I said "Maybe you could have asked if you could earn the money to buy a smencil."
I'm torn between letting him "earn" the smencil and then letting him have it, or just never giving it back to him. I don't think he realized he was being sneaky, or he wouldn't have outed himself in the car - which is the only reason I'm leaning towards letting him earn it.
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