Last spring, Jonathan began asking for a "real" basketball goal. By real, he meant a full size goal like the "big guys" have. They don't come cheap, especially when you are paying not only for the goal itself, but to have someone pick it up and install it for you. That about doubles the cost.
We reached an agreement, my son & I. And trust me, for a 4 year old , he drives a hard bargain! In May, we started saving all of our aluminum soda cans. I bought a special garbage can for the garage, as well as a supply of lawn and leaf bags to fit it. We religiously save every can. Two of our neighbors pitch in with theirs, too.
Today we made the trek to our nearest recycling center with a few bags of cans. We walked away with $9.60. The price of aluminum is up! The guys at the center are always so nice to Jon, and they let him sign the receipt all by himself today. He was so proud!
He now has over $200 toward his goal of a goal! He also gets to keep the money from any toys he sells when we have a yard sale, and trust me, he keeps tabs on what is his!
In this culture of ours, so geared toward instant gratification, I want him to realize some things are worth working and waiting for. I want him to know the sense of accomplishment that comes from meeting a goal. He is already dicussing what he wants to save for next (a computer of his own). It is also good for him to know he is helping the earth at the same time. It's a win/win situation!
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