Tax season is upon us. For some, it is a time to hide and cry in the closet. For others, it’s like Christmas in February. My husband and I thought for sure we’d be in the closet, desperately trying to come up with ways to pay back the government without having to sell our adorable children on the Black Market. Luckily for us, however, we totally lucked out and woke to a late Christmas miracle this morning: a direct deposit of a hefty tax refund.
When you live paycheck to paycheck like our family does- and maybe yours, too? – a “hefty” amount of money really isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. Also, when you live a life of counting pennies, you can pretty much guarantee that very important things have been neglected over the years and are in desperate need of TLC, like that gaping hole in the roof, bald tires on the car, and that pesky medical bill collections company. Needless to say, within five minutes of having our refund, we had already spent it on the practical and necessary.
Still, while running errands that day with my children, I couldn’t help but daydream about our small fortune. With every cry and scream from the backseat from my two moody girls, I would get richer and richer in my head, until eventually I found myself on a deserted island that was conveniently equipped with everything I would need for a life of luxury. There’s only so long those kinds of daydreams make you feel good; eventually you get to a point where the better the fantasy gets, the more depressed it makes you. As I felt myself approaching that point, I decided to talk to my girls about money. Two and five-year-olds never disappoint when it comes to turning a frown upside-down.
So, to that end, I asked my girls: “What would you do if you had a whole bunch of money to spend? What would you buy?”
Raina, my 5-year-old: “You mean I could spend it on anything???”
Me: “Anything.”
Raina: Well, definitely a trampoline. Then, I’d want a dance room where I could do all my dancing with no mess on the floor. Ummmmm….I think that’s all.”
Me: “How about you, Phoebe? What would you want to buy if you had a lot of money?”
Phoebe, my 2-year-old: “Ummmm, a trampoline, and, ummmmmm, a dance room. That’s all.” (Note to self: Always ask the younger one first.)
Me: “Hmmmm, I’m surprised neither of you said your own iPad.”
Raina: “I wouldn’t spend my money on that! No way! I’d ask Santa.”
Frown turned upside-down. Mission accomplished!
Ask your little ones the same thing and share their responses in the comments section. I’m sure there are a lot of people hiding in their closets in need of more smiles 🙂
