Cashier Kindness

Hi Scott,

How fantastic that you shouted that guy his meal! I was myself behind a lady in the queue at Coles recently and saw she had her groceries scanned and bagged, and for good measure her son had started tucking into some snacks from the bags. She then realised that her card was not in her wallet, and started fretfully taking the bags back out of the trolley. Without hesitation I handed my card over to the cashier to pay for the lady’s shopping, and I would not allow her to pay me back either. Best $70 I’ve ever spent, helping out a fellow mum during a crappy part.

Melanie

Hi Melanie,

One night I went to a chew-and-spew and found that I’d forgotten my wallet.

It was chopsticks at midnight over an $18 pad thai … I seriously thought the restaurant owner was going to call the cops on me. (And it would have been much worse if my little tacker was tucking into some san choy bau!)

So I can completely understand how that woman was feeling.

Today we rush around so much that occasionally you forget your wallet … and isn’t it nice that for that woman, at that moment, you were there as a smiling face?

The truth that all givers know is that the giver always gets the most out of it.

Hopefully she went home and explained to her kid that even in this day and age of division … isn’t it good to know that there are good people who can help?

(Unlike the owner of the  Chinese restaurant … a big chop-suey to you, Mel!)

Scott

You Made Me Cry

You made me cry today. My 90-year-old mum had her purse stolen at the local shopping centre. When I told my seven-year-old, he immediately made her a card, put in all the money from his three jars, and gave it to his grandma. I am so proud of him. Thank you.

Melanie

Melanie,

What a great kid you have!

My biggest fear is that my kids will grow up to become entitled brats.

That’s why the ‘Money Movement’ program I’ve created for primary school kids is all about Jam Jars. The Jam Jars give the kids (and their parents) the behavioural building blocks that will shape the rest of their lives: to be hard workers, smart spenders, savvy savers, and generous givers.

The final lesson of the program has the kids brainstorming ideas of who they can help in their local community, and then donating the money in their class ‘Give’ jar.

A Cambridge University study found that adult money habits start to become fixed by age seven!

It makes sense when you think about it: as the Jesuits say, “Show me the boy at seven, and I’ll show you the man”.

Well done.

Scott

The Giving Game

Hi Scott,

My daughter would like to donate the contents of her money box to a charity. I really want to take her to one in person, rather than doing it online, so she can be a part of the process. But I am finding it increasingly challenging to find information on where we can do this ‒ none of them seem to want to interact in person. Any ideas?

Jill

Hi Jill,

I think there are more meaningful ways to teach giving than handing over cash.

Instead, my experience is that food is the perfect way to teach your kids about giving.

Reason being, every kid knows what it’s like to be hungry: you can’t concentrate, and you’re irritable until you eat.

So, you can explain that on a typical day roughly three kids in her class will arrive at school hungry or without having eaten breakfast, according to Foodbank. (This explains why approximately 1,750 schools across the country have Breakfast Clubs, to ensure kids are getting their most important meal of the day. They’re in poor areas. They’re in wealthy areas. They’re in my home town.)You can also explain that just because you can’t see their tummies rumbling doesn’t mean they’re not hungry.Not only is food a powerful metaphor for kids, even better, your kid has the chance to do something about it.

Last year charities across Australia had to turn away 65,000 hungry people each month because there wasn’t enough food to go around.

However, there’s no need to start feeding the masses bread and fish like a motivated messiah.

Instead, when you’re next walking around the supermarket, ask your kids, “What can we buy for hungry people?”

You can donate things like canned foods, spreads, coffee, flour, sugar and baby food. Have your kids bring along some money from their Give Jar so they can buy food with their own money, and then on the way home you can drop it off at the local Foodbank warehouse, or your local community charity that distributes food in your area (you can find their contact details from your local council).

Scott