Guest Post by Rebecca Ingram Powell of Mom Seriously
If you’re into couponing, chances are your kids will be, too. There are all sorts of clever ways to use these fun-sized slips of paper for creating teachable moments that help your child learn the value of a dollar and even more! Check out these tips:
Teach your children cutting skills. Mom, if you’re clipping coupons, your little ones will want to “help.” Offer them your outdated Red Plum and Smart Source inserts and show them how to cut on the dashed line. Applaud every effort, and DO NOT re-do their work. Like everything else, cutting takes practice, and those precious, dimpled hands will belong to big girls and big boys before you know it.
Teach sorting skills. Sorting skills are necessary for children to learn how to compare and classify items, and how to look at the same set of objects from different perspectives. Coupons can be sorted in several ways:
- Sort by the amount. The dollar amount is easy to spot on coupons. Place the actual amount in change on a table and have your child stack the coupons underneath.
- Sort by product type. Is it a vegetable? Is it a fruit? Is it detergent?
- Sort by the room you would find it in. Would this be in our kitchen? Would this be in the bathroom? Would this be in the laundry room?
- Sort by color. Look for the dominant color on the coupon and sort into piles.
Distinguish between needs and wants. Provoke a great conversation when you and your child go through coupons discussing which items are “needs” and which can be classified as “wants.” (Cookies may seem like a “need,” but they are not!)
Make the most of every teachable moment:
- Always be enthusiastic and encouraging. Learning should be fun!
- If the way your child classifies something seems a bit off the wall to your way of thinking, investigate. Usually, your child has thought it through, and it makes sense (on some level) to her!
- Redirect your child’s thinking by asking questions; avoid harsh reprimands and insulting comments.
About Rebecca of Mom Seriously
As a parenting columnist and the author of five books, Rebecca Ingram Powell has been writing and speaking on parenting issues for over a decade. Married to her college sweetheart and the homeschooling mother of three, she offers information, encouragement, and inspiration on a variety of family topics at her blog, Mom Seriously.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
