Tuesday, October 1, 2013

A Lesson in Economics

Today I’m visiting The Sadder But Wiser Girl’s blog with a Guest Post. I wrote a very honest piece about my younger son and I included a recipe there for these:

  
 
S'Mores on a Stick | recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com


But these treats have a story, and it’s actually a story about my older son:

When my son was in 2nd grade, one of their lessons was on Economics. It culminated in a Bake Sale. The parents were asked to make three dozen cookies or small treats and the kids set up their own “stores” at their desks. They priced their treats between 5 cents and 25 cents. They’d have to sell their goods, assess their price strategy and make as much money as they could. All proceeds went to charity.

Family members were invited in to go through the “stores”, the students themselves were allowed to bring in 25 cents each and shop their peers’ stores, and many teachers in the school gave each of their students 25 cents and took their classes through the line. It was a great lesson.

I made the treats pictured above. My son priced them at 25 cents. One of the first groups through included the teacher from another participating 2nd grade class. She actually admonished my son, telling him to lower his price. She told him that his treats were the highest priced and asked who would want to buy just one of something when they could buy a number of items priced at 5 cents and 10 cents. My son answered that his treats were bigger than most and he wasn’t changing his price, he thought it was fair.

After she left I broached the subject. I told him that it was his choice, but that after a few groups went through the line he should consider whether or not his strategy was working. It’s fine to start out at what he thought the treats were worth, but if the consumers don’t agree and he isn’t selling them, he may need to lower his price. It’s about making as much as you can for charity, after all.

He stood his ground and I supported him. Right or wrong it was his lesson to learn.

My son’s treats were the very first and one of only a few to sell out completely. He single-handedly made the most money for the charity out of all of the 2nd graders in the whole school.

Take that Mrs. Meany-pants.

To read my post about my younger son and get the recipe for this special treat, please click on this link and read If You Fall Through The Cracks . . . Mom will catch you. It won’t cost you a penny.

 Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

28 comments:

  1. Those look tasty..........And yay your son for sticking to his guns!

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    1. Yes, it worked out for him. But even if it hadn't, the way that teacher approached him was inappropriate.

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  2. HA! He knew what they were worth! ;) LOVE it!!!!

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    1. He did, and it turns out he was right. I really was proud of him.

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  3. Rock on older son ... he knew what he was doing!

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.•*´
    (¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
    Raising-Reagan.com

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    1. In the end he made a lot of money for charity. You can't really argue with the success of that.

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  4. Great lesson! So glad he stuck to his guns. How rude for another teacher to admonish him! Wasn't that the lesson they were trying to teach?

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    1. I was so shocked that she did that, and especially in front of others. But in the end he did the right thing and I was very proud of him.

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  5. Good for you for backing your baby boy and allowing him to see firsthand what the consequences were for his choice. Even better that Mrs. Meany-pants had to eat her words because she missed the chance to eat his delicious treats!

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    1. I have to admit that I was pretty upset that Mrs. Meany-pants did something like that to a 2nd grader. But I'm just as happy that it all worked out for him.

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  6. He should have charged a dollar! They look amazing-good for y'all!

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  7. Nice job by your son! He kicked butt and stuck to his plan and it worked! I would have bought a bunch!

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    1. I was proud of him. Especially after the way that teacher treated hm.

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  8. I love this story--so awesome that your son held his ground and maybe the teacher learned a lesson from that. Your guest post was awesome, too. I love anything that honest.

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  9. I LOVE this story! Good for your son! Cheaper is not always better!

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    1. I agree. It's about value. Even though his was more expensive, he felt it was bigger and more impressive. In the end he did just fine.

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  10. That is a great post! Kids know more than we give them credit for. I really liked the idea of the lesson as well.

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    1. I think kids should be allowed to have convictions and make their own choices. I'm glad I supported him, even if he had ended up being wrong.

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  11. Great story. Your son was smart to stand his ground.

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  12. Karen, I love this so hard. You are an amazing mother, baker, blogger, and friend. I know I always joke about how much you scare me about life with two teen boys, but lady, if I could be half the woman you are, we'll be just fine.

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    1. No, not an amazing mother by any means, but just like you I love my boys.

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  13. I love this story - the fact that your son stood his ground and you supported his decision (and discussed the possible out come with him). And Of course his mama's treats were the only ones to sell out and raise the most money!! I need a private baking lesson :)

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    1. Thanks Monica. It should have been a fun time but was made more difficult by a teacher who wasn't even his teacher. I'm just glad I was there when it happened.

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  14. You know I could sucker punch a dream killer like that. Good for your son (and you) for holding your ground. I'd pay 25 cents for them in a heartbeat.

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    1. I'm just glad she was a teacher from another classroom and not his teacher. At least his exposure to her was minimal.

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