I mean, what would you do?

A few months ago Lily got a letter from The Cheetah Conservation Fund. She thought it was so she could sign up to do the half mile fun run again, but instead it was asking for donations. I explained that to her, and she wanted to give some out of her "giving" bank.

Aside: Lily earns a dime each for various chores that she does through the week as a "commission" and she has 3 banks; saving, spending, and giving, we don't stipulate a percentage of what she has to put in each, at this point we just are trying to get her to understand the principle that the money she earns should be allocated between those three. She freely choses to put it where she wants as long as she puts something in each one.

I told her she could and forgot about it.

She kept bringing it up at the worst times. I'd have hands loaded on my way out the door for the day, or I'd be nursing Bryson, on my way out of her room after the 40 minute night time rituals and book reading, or on the pot...she'd be saying the same thing. "Mama...remember we have to give money to help the Cheetahs".

My response always the same, "Oh, uh, yes, honey we will do that, just not right this minute".

Aside: I still say, "In a minute, honey" about 50x a day...

So here's the dilemma.

I finally told her to put the amount out of her giving bank into the envelope that she wanted to give to the cheetahs. "Well, how will they know it's from me?". "Um, oh, see right here, it says your name, just write the amount you are giving right on the letter next to your name, and we'll mail it in, all together".

I figured I'd write a check and mail it off for her.

She worked so hard on that three.

She forgot about it for a few days, then asked, "Hey mom, we forgot to send that Cheetah money". "Oh, I already did it, honey" I lied. Meanwhile I stashed the whole packet of too much change in an envelope and the donation solicitation letter in my room and forgot about it.

But in my attempt to declutter, heh, my room the other day. I found it. As I put it off to the side and in one pile, I got annoyed. THIS IS WHY THERE IS CLUTTER EVERYWHERE.

So I took a picture of it like this.
And I did this.
Yes, I tore it up and put the change in the master change baggie.

Don't worry, I'll give her that change back for her giving bank. Those three dollars took 30 chores to earn.

Yeah, the cheetah people might have been able to put that three bucks to good use, buy part of an antelope calf or whatnot, but I work at home and am happy to have those small inches of desk space back in my bedroom that has become the dumping grounds of our home!

I put my foot down, no more, envelope of spilling out change, no more. One small step for the disaster on my desk, one giant step for, oh forget it, who am I kidding. I'm just trying to get some validation that i am not a terrible mother.

I mean, what would you do? Send it? Actually take the time to write out a check and find a stamp and get to a mail box and deposit the $3 in change into your checking account? Puh-lease! You guys, I am not super mom. Besides, I can teach her how to give charitably while keeping the money to regive in commissions, can't I? I said CAN'T I???!!!!