Salinas Californian

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A few years ago Media took up the chant and has continued ever since that…“Our students don’t know about money.”  So I thought I’d explain as best I could and in a simplified way the daily workings of money.  Accordingly I brought in a checkbook, a debit card and a credit card. 

     When the teacher takes their wallet out kids focus. And so they did.   By and large they got it. My 10 and 11 year olds knew the difference between a check and a credit card.

    More than a few of my students live in a totally cash economy. Their guardians don’t have savings accounts or credit cards. The impact of that is multileveled.

    Some of my students have parents working in the fields.  One particular student was very aware of weather. “It’s cold today and it rained yesterday, that’s bad.”

    First time the discussion hit on weather I had no idea what the child’s interest in the clouds was all about. 

    “Why bad?”

     “So cold to pick. Wet too. On rainy days they can’t go to work.”

     This is the sweetest kiddo in the world.  The child’s empathy gets me. The parents struggle to get by.  A high-light for the family was that they ate a meal out at local burger joint.

     The student confided that they had been robbed because they keep their money in the house.

    “We had to borrow money because of that.”

     I have another kiddo pretty much the same situation. Sharp, loves math. The wheels in this kiddos cabeza are always spinning.  During the class money-talk this child raised their hand. “Sooo, can we get a bank account and the BANK gives US money to keep it there?”

    YES!”  I replied. That was the whole point of the talk. I wanted them and their money in the system.

    The same child added, “And wouldn’t the money be safer in the bank than in our house?”

    An insightful kiddo raised her hand. “But that could be a problem on account of us needing that social number, right?”

    “You are correct. Glad you know about that. It’s a social security number.”

     The kiddo who suggested saving in the bank smiled, “Wow…I want to save. I’ll get interest. I have $14.00.”

    I need to add this child had been smitten by the desire for an instrument. I practice (poorly most admittedly) a fiddle at lunch time and some kids come in and play chess and are subjected to my catgut screeching’s. I sometimes showed the kids Facebook inspirational “things” like the incredible mind-blowing Croatian cello duo 2 Cellos.  Anyhooo this afore mentioned kiddo wants any thing which has strings on it as do a few of them now.

    “Well, I add, “Now you have a goal to really save for. Get that instrument.”

    The kiddo and I have looked on EBay and there are used cellos appropriate for a 10 year-old.  As cheap as $125. The child’s response made me know they were really fired up.

    “WOW…those are beautiful.”

     “Yes, they are. However… IF you get one it’s all about practicing.”

     Class ended and the other child, the one who worried about the weather tagged along side me. The child peered behind us, teared up, and then cried.

     “I’m afraid whenever my parents go to work. They crossed la frontera (the border) They don’t have that social number thing for the bank. I’m always afraid they will be arrested and I won’t see them.”

      Darned kids make me cry all the time. 

 

      Yeah, money is an issue.