Heidi is very familiar with coin money. We use it with her piggy bank as a reward system. Paper money means nothing to her so when she received two five dollar bills in her card from MiMi she exclaimed, “Ooooh look! Tickets!!!” With a smile I explained paper money to her and she promptly put her money in her butterfly purse saying, “I want to go shopping.” I told her we would go to the toy store after I got home from work the next day.

Fast forward to 5 PM the next day and Heidi and I are off to the toy store. By chance I parked facing the grocery store rather than the toy store and Heidi asks if she can go in with me. “Of course” I tell her. She said, “Mommy, I don’t know how to spend my money.” “Honey, I will help you” I say. (I think to myself, spending money is something I can help her with!)

We head into the toy store, purses over shoulders and Heidi has no trouble at all deciding on what she will buy. A Melissa and Doug butterfly hopscotch was to go home with us. Like the 3 year old big girl that she is, she handed her money to the cashier, got her change and we were on our way home.

🙂