A Boy and His iPod Touch

I’m very proud of the young man above. He wanted an iPod Touch this past Christmas, and I was more than skeptical. He’s 8 and that’s an expensive piece of technology to take care of, to keep up with, etc. I was concerned he was too young or too irresponsible. Other concerns: buying games, trusting him on the Internet, I wasn’t going to get his little brother one … ultimately I didn’t get him one.

But after that we made a deal: if he saved his money and had at least $100 by his 9th birthday, which is next week, I’d cover the rest. Well, he crossed the $100 mark just this past week. He saved his allowance ($5 a week if he does all his chores) plus the occasional bonus for doing extra jobs — and used some of his birthday money. He learned to save and to sacrifice for something he really wanted. He also learned greater responsibility and work ethic in our home. Last weekend, for example, he swept the living room without being told, and he asked for extra chores to make extra money. I had him clean the fronts of the kitchen cabinets.

So today we ventured to Target where he handed the electronics guy a big wad of cash in exchange for an iPod Touch. He was beaming and so proud of himself. It was fun to watch! Not only did he show me that he was responsible enough, he’s invested in it which boosts his desire to take care of his purchase. I couldn’t be prouder!