We’ve been teaching Timothy about money lately by giving him an allowance of $1 each week (10 dimes). He divides it up into 4 categories: 1 for church–which he puts on our cross downstairs, 4 for savings, 3 for Christmas gifts and 2 for spending. In just 6 weeks he’s learned how to divide them up and what goes in what bank. He’s purchased a few pieces of gum and is thinking about what to buy his family for Christmas.

Today, Andrea cleaned out her purse and had some of the contents on the floor in the living room. 6 pennies were there and Andrea told the kids they could each have some of the pennies and put them in their piggy banks. They split them into 2 groups of 3 and picked them up. Timothy looked at them and said “I’m going to put this one on the cross, and the other two in my spending jar.” My heart nearly broke right there as he recognized a principle that many adults don’t get: giving first puts your heart in the right place. So neat to see our five year old grab hold of such things. What an awesome kid.