Another one of our late updates; we started this month with a fun visit to our favorite bookstore in Lahore "Readings" that deals with new as well as used books. On the first of July, late night we finally decided to take kids and ourselves on an outing without a hope to find any place worth going open and waohoo hoo what we found out !! our favorite store have pushed the closing time 2 more hours and now they are open till midnight :D
Now there is a twist to this happy story. For our growing up miss M going to her favorite book store is a task these days as she is given a limited allowance instead of the old choose and buy as much as you like routine. In that situation the final authority and decision maker was mom or Dad and all she has to do was to load her trolly with millions of books9 half of which she will read in the store). The aim was the gradual shift of Responsibility. But being responsible is a multidimensional task in my opinion one has to learn and master quite a few other basic skills first.
To select and compare, to apply some arithmetical skills, how to manage with in her limits, letting go whats beyond her reach, and most important of all, to trust her own choices.
When the idea was first introduced a few visits back, unexpectedly she started crying and complaining. She didn't want this change. Her argument was that she wont get enough (in fact any) books when I offered her Rs.200 as her first allowance. Actually her reluctance was coming from the fear of unknown, she didn't know a thing about prices! (other than where to find the tags).The catch was that I will not interfere in any way and she can BUY which ever book she wants the only thing was that it shout not cost more than the given limit.
We did fine on the first shopping expedition brought two books after much evaluation, discussions and promises for the future
Now after 2 visits it is clear that it was too big a sum for her and the only books she was picking up books from the first Rack, all new, with fancy sticker, princesses/famous cartoon books that were worth 200 or above each without even being bothered to explore the store.while there are hundreds of other amazing books most of them priced less then Rs. 50/- used of-course but in good condition!. So I gradually reduced the allowance and now she is supposed to spend max Rs.60/- per visit and what fine books she hunts now despite the strong air conditioning in the "used" section!!!
Some of M's recent finds are
Moral: Necessity is the mother of all inventions...including behavior and choices ---lols
Now there is a twist to this happy story. For our growing up miss M going to her favorite book store is a task these days as she is given a limited allowance instead of the old choose and buy as much as you like routine. In that situation the final authority and decision maker was mom or Dad and all she has to do was to load her trolly with millions of books9 half of which she will read in the store). The aim was the gradual shift of Responsibility. But being responsible is a multidimensional task in my opinion one has to learn and master quite a few other basic skills first.
To select and compare, to apply some arithmetical skills, how to manage with in her limits, letting go whats beyond her reach, and most important of all, to trust her own choices.
When the idea was first introduced a few visits back, unexpectedly she started crying and complaining. She didn't want this change. Her argument was that she wont get enough (in fact any) books when I offered her Rs.200 as her first allowance. Actually her reluctance was coming from the fear of unknown, she didn't know a thing about prices! (other than where to find the tags).The catch was that I will not interfere in any way and she can BUY which ever book she wants the only thing was that it shout not cost more than the given limit.
We did fine on the first shopping expedition brought two books after much evaluation, discussions and promises for the future
Now after 2 visits it is clear that it was too big a sum for her and the only books she was picking up books from the first Rack, all new, with fancy sticker, princesses/famous cartoon books that were worth 200 or above each without even being bothered to explore the store.while there are hundreds of other amazing books most of them priced less then Rs. 50/- used of-course but in good condition!. So I gradually reduced the allowance and now she is supposed to spend max Rs.60/- per visit and what fine books she hunts now despite the strong air conditioning in the "used" section!!!
Some of M's recent finds are
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