Forty-seven Cents

One of the big, big things I work with Maddy on is money. This is a must as far as the hubby and I are concerned. When I first started working with her she could not tell you how many quarters in a dollar. She would love it if all money was just one dollar bills, dimes and pennies. A good friend of mine and his wife gave me a large bag of "school" money for Maddy to work with. The bills and coins are the same size and shape of real money. They probably gave us at least $150.00 in bills and change.

I still need to do basic review of money with Maddy once in a while, but we have worked up to money word problems and then she makes the change for me. Some days we just have her give me the amount I ask for. Knowing that she likes to use the bills she is familiar with I slowly work the majority of those bills and coins out of her stash.

Yesterday we were working on making change and I could see that Maddy was getting frustrated pretty quick. She declared that money was stupid and did not understand why I would torture her with this task. After I explained that she could not work at Hot Topic until she could properly make change she did attempt a little more effort.

I asked her to give me $17.47 and after a little eye rolling she started to work on this amount. Looking at her pile of coins and only seeing 3 pennies the following conversation occurred.

Maddy: This can not be done! I can't make the amount you want me to make!!!

Me: Sure you can.

Maddy: NO, I can't I don't have enough pennies!!!!!

Me: Well how many pennies do you need to make seven cents?

Maddy: *Looking at me like I am truly the dumbest person on the planet* I need seven..DUH

Me: Nope, you only need two pennies to make seven cents.

Maddy: Yeah right

Me: Ok, I tell you what, if I show you how you can make seven cents out of two pennies you have to say you are sorry for being a sassy pants.

Maddy: You are on! But..wait..when you are wrong, you have to pay me one real dollar!!

Me: Ok, fair enough


I proceed to show her how to use one nickel and two pennies to make seven cents. Crushed in defeat in her chair she quietly mumbles "I am sorry I was a sassy pants".