Are the children pleading with you to buy them a dirtbike for Christmas? Rather than simply cave in to their demands for this year’s “hot” item, turn it into an opportunity to teach them the value of money, and create a good little work ethic at the same time! As described in a recent Parenting magazine, imagine this scenario: the editor’s children wanted a farm bike. So the parents made a deal with them. The children were to pay for a proportion of the bike. Let’s say $200. The parents took a photo of the bike, put one up on the refrigerator (a faint background image is a good idea) and cut an identical image into 50 pieces. The children were allotted simple chores – each chore was assigned a $4 value. The children then would work singularly, or together, to earn a picture piece. Put the pieces together and what do you get? Diligent, motivated kids who understand the value of money!