The Quickie Mart

Today, I helped BrainyBoy (v7.7) run the cash register at his Second-Grade Store.

See, at his school they run a store starting about halfway through the year where they sell snacks, pencils, erasers, gel pens, notebooks and other such small school supplies. He's been at this school since Kindergarten and now finally that he's in Second Grade, it's his time to work in it! Of course, the real reason is to teach the kids some basic economic principles like supply and demand, investing (they each invest some of their own money to buy supplies, then will receive dividends later in the year), plus how to make change and other mathematical exercises.

Today is the second day it's been open, and it's BrainyBoy's turn to work the register. Me, being the swell dad that I am, answered the call for volunteers and helped them out.

It was interesting to see him manage the kids in line paying for their loot. He was able to correctly add up most of the purchases in his head - with a little help - and to make the correct change. What caught my eye was his willingness to help them when there was problem, he was up and out of the chair to check on the price of an item (with me yelling, "PRICE CHECK - KLEENEX TISSUE!" to his chagrin). He goes out of his way to help other kids, a trait which I find heartening.

Of course, he probably got tired of me yelling "CLEANUP IN AISLE SIX!" when someone knocked over a box of pencils, nor did he appreciate me extolling him to say "Thank you, come again!" after every purchase (in my best Apu voice from the Simpsons). Some people just don't understand sophisticated humor...