Summer has always been a great time for spending vacations especially for kids but for parents, that would also mean an endless creative way of having them busy and doing something worthwhile. In my family of seven minions, that does not only include spending time with their one and only grandma but pigging out on whatever their restless appetites can think of. Though my kids have never been picky eaters, at times I wonder if that was a good thing as there were days I am almost tempted to have them eat twigs and leaves to appease their never ending crave for food. Financially we are not well off and though my kids had learned the value of money early, I also have learned that recycling had taught me more than the financial aspect of it.
My mom had always kept things for sentimental reasons and since my kids were very aware of that I told them that there were a lot of these at home that have to be discarded and some can even be sold at a junk shop. They had been taught in school that old bottles, newspapers, magazines or scrap metal can be recycled and sold. They also learned that it was not easy to earn money. So I told them to do a scavenger hunt of the things their grandma kept but had become trash trough the years due to lack of use. They went to check on her very old pocketbooks that she no longer read, where the pages had been soiled and appliances that will cost a hefty amount if one chose to have them fixed still. Funny thing was they got to bond while looking for ways to have them sold at a junk shop without my mom knowing it. They waited for that day when their grandma visited my brother's family in the city so they could sell their stuff at the junk shop. And that was the just the start of their scavenging and learning activities.
From copper wires, bottles, cans, plastics from chairs, cabinets, basins and pails no longer of use, even their old test papers and bond papers, unused hand me down textbooks from their cousins, they all sold. What more the junk shop's owner told them to come back anytime so they could earn more.When they told me about this, I could not help but admire the wisdom they have learned. Though their earnings where not that much, what touched me more as a mother was the thought that they had fun doing it based on what they had shared. I may have suggested the idea but their initiative and interest to learn made me realize that any task given, no matter how boring and challenging at first could turn out to be enjoyable in the end. In a way they have creatively managed to spend their time and get to bond with each other as well.
There may still be more boring summers to come but I know my kids will always find ways in dealing them creatively. Besides it really would not hurt to recycle, earn and learn from it all.
(This post first appeared at Bizcovering via triond.com.)
I remember when I was a kid, during summer I always pick a empty bottle around the village and sell it to junk shop, this way I can have some money for the upcoming school year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by . I also sold newspapers and bottles when I was kid, in fact until now. I still cannot see wrong in doing that as it is a great way to save and protect our environment as well .
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