Learning to earn it

         "Mummy, we want a tablet." Sara and Reina Hunt announced during dinner.

         Mrs. Hunt put down her fork and looked at them. "Why?"

         "Because, it's cool." Sara reasoned.

         "Please?" asked Reina.

         "No! Those things cost money. Australian private school expenses are enough as they are."

         "Please?" Reina asked again.

         "No."

         "Pretty please?" Sara joined in.

         "No! You'll just fight over who gets to play with it, and I'm most definitely not getting two tablets."

         "Pretty, pretty, pretty please?" the girls chorused.

         "With a cherry on top?" added Sara.

         "What have you two girls done recently that warrants a tablet?" Mrs. Hunt demanded. "You're always fighting and bickering; you only come together when you have a common cause against me, like now. No, you are not getting a tablet, and that is final. And don't try this again with something new in a few days."

         A month passed, each day ending the same as before- with the two girls begging and their mother turning them down.

         One day, the girls pushed her past breaking point. "You know what? You girls have no appreciation for the concept of saving and earning money. It doesn't just fall from the sky, you know." she snapped. "Start doing chores. Earn the money. Save your money. Then we'll talk about your tablet." she rolled her eyes. Plunking a jar onto the table, she continued on, "I will pay you each a total of $15 per week, if you do your chores well. Every time you fight, talk back to me or don't listen to what I say, I will take out two dollars. If you don't do the chores that week, I'll take away ten. To be fair, I'll add interest. 1% per month." Spinning the plan as she talked, their mother turned to the computer next, printing out a spreadsheet and attaching it to the jar. The top read "Sara and Reina's tablet fund."

         "We want the new, gold 64GB iPad with data.  " Sara said. "It's $899."

         "Don't forget the added GST." their mother reminded them. Including tax, the total was approximately $981.

         Reina's eyes bugged.

         Sara's jaw dropped. "I'm not too sure...."

         "Oh no, you're not backing out now. Not after a month of continual begging." Her mother cut off any escape routes.

         "That'll take so long!" Reina whined.

         "You wanted the tablet, so you'll have to earn it yourselves. This will teach you responsibility, basic accounting, teamwork, time-management and respect."

         They sighed. "There'll be a new iPad out by the time we save up enough for this one." Sara rolled her eyes.

         "Then save up for that one. I never said you couldn't change your goal. Today is Friday. We'll start this Sunday. Remember, though. This is only if your grades stay up. The moment your grades drop, pay and chores stop." their mother warned.

         The sisters gritted their teeth and embraced the challenge. As the months passed, their money accumulated, and the target goal seemed closer and closer. The girls' behavior towards each other and their mother improved greatly, and each sister encouraged the other when times were stressful.

         Mrs. Hunt, seeing their hard work, decided to spring a surprise on them one Friday after school. After picking them up, they took what seemed to be the usual route home. Turning towards the city instead of the neighborhood, she told the girls "I have a few errands to run that didn't get done during the day."

         "Okay." Reina quickly answered.

         "Just curious, why are we at the big mall?" Sara asked. "Your errands don't usually involve coming here."

         "Follow me, and don't ask questions." their mother replied.

         The girls whispered behind their mother. "What do you think we're doing here?" Sara asked.

         "I don't know." Reina responded.

         "Hurry, don't make me wait for you!"

         The two girls rushed to catch up with their mother. While they were at school, Mrs. Hunt had secretly counted and double-checked their money- replacing smaller bills with larger ones for ease of accounting.

         Reaching the Apple Store, the girls lingered longer, making their mother return to them.

         "If you want, we can go in and look at the iPad."

         Dashing in to look, the girls didn't give their mother a chance to retract her offer.

         Mrs. Hunt followed them in, and as they tested the display tablet, she explained why they were at the mall. "Your behavior has dramatically improved since your project started. Working together towards a common goal really helped your sisterhood. You probably don't know this, but today, your jar has $957.38 in it." she brought the jar out from her purse. "I hope this experience taught you a lesson. Responsibility, teamwork, time-management, these are all skills you need in your daily life. And since you've been so good this week, and your chores are done already, I'm willing to pay the difference. Now, before you get too excited, I expect this behavior to continue on, even after you get your iPad. Your chores will still continue, the concept stays the same. If you want, you can each have your own jar to save your money for a rainy day. We can discuss this last part when we get home. Understood?"

         Both girls eagerly nodded as they waited at the cashier for their new tablet.

         "Thank you, Mum." the girls chimed as they walked back to the car. "This was a lovely surprise and we appreciate it."