Hola.
There's already enough bad news everyday about what is going on in the world. With schools being closed, people working from home, and generally avoiding people like the plague (literally) life has definitely changed. Who knew that in 2020, going to Walmart could be a life or death pimp decision that you would have to make. Or that toilet paper would have the same worth as Top Ramen in jail. I just bought a package of toilet paper, twelve rolls, last night. I haven't bought toilet paper in a month. And living with girls, we go through a helluva lot of toilet paper. We been depending on baby wipes and the generosity of others to get us through.
Through it all, what that has forced a lot of people (me included) to do is spend more time with my kids. Before, we were busy. The girls had sports, I had to go to work everyday. They had school. And then I had basketball reffing that I did damn near every night. We would try to make time for movie nights and going out for dinner. But at the end of the day, we were busy. And sometimes, in the scheme of all that craziness, it was hard to really find time for each other.
Now we ain't got no damn choice. I mean there is only so much Netflix/Hulu, and Xbox I can stand in a day. I've read some books. Painted a room. Cleaned my basement. Built a barn. All that shit. (Okay I didn't build a barn, but I was on a roll) So we have had a couple of family game nights. And a couple of nights ago, we played Uno and I thought it would be a good time to teach my kids about gambling.
Now before you judge me, let me say this first...I don't care what you think. Okay? Cool. Now we can continue.
Backstory. So my girls have an chore chart and they get a dollar day for them doing their chores. Keeping their rooms clean, dishes, bathroom, trash, normal stuff like that. If they do their chores by 9pm every night, then they get a dollar for that day. If they don't, then they forfeit their dollar a day. And, if the other sister does their chores after 9pm then she will we get that dollar PLUS the dollar of her own chores. My kids are greedy and they are secretly competitive, so you can imagine that it only took one time of that happening where the other sister was smiling at the one who didn't money to ensure that wasn't happening again.
They get paid every two weeks. Might as well teach them how most jobs pay. When I get paid, they get paid. As my grandfather used to say, "The Eagle flies on Friday!" And that's how that is for them. So every two weeks, they have the chance to earn up to as much as ten dollars for their chores. Now, I never got a dime for doing chores as a kid (or an adult). Except the satisfaction of knowing that I would get a whoopin for not doing them. So I think I'm a tad progressive on that front as opposed to what I came up with.
Now like most jobs that would gladly like to work for free, I'm the same way. I don't want to pay my kids, however, I do want them to learn a lesson. I want them to learn how money works and budgets and stuff. Random thought, but I think that sooooo many Black families do not have real conversations about personal finance with their kids. Why? Because our parents didn't talk about it with us. It's sad. And I can't change the world, but I can stop that cycle in my own house.
So on family game night, I pose the following question to my kids:
"Do you wanna bet your allowance on this Uno game? Double or nothing."
They sat there for a second and thought about it. Then Ayanna was like, "So if Iwin three games of Uno, then we get $20 instead of $10???". I was like, "Yep, but if you lose, then you get nothing." Ayanna quickly was like, "Yes, I'm in!" Amanyi, was like...nah I'm good. So the bet was on for Ayanna.
So there were four of us playing. Me, Ayanna, Amanyi, and Ayanna's sister Reni. I thought hell the chances in Ayanna winning are 25%. Which means the odds of me winning are 75%. Who wouldn't take those odds! I was in Vegas a couple of years ago. I know that the house usually wins. So I was gung ho. All bets are on. It was on like popcorn.
Welp, Ayanna won the first game.
Ayanna won her second game.
When it was clear that Ayanna was going to win her third game. I realized that my plan had backfired. This little ninja was lucky as hell and I was going to be out of $20. And win she did. And she was smiling like a cat that just escaped a Chinese restaurant. I asked if the she wanted to come back and try to flip her $20 double or nothing. But she wisely, knew when to walk away. Knew when to run.
So lesson is, don't teach your kids to gamble with your money. And also, that the silver lining of all this social distancing is that I'm spending more time with the girls. And that's all that will really matter in twenty years. Kids aren't going to care who was President, how much our lives were interrupted, or how all of the bars are closed now. What they will remember is the time that Daddy tried to bet her allowance on a stupid game on Uno. And how he lost. And hopefully she'll look back and smile.
Read and discuss.