Some time ago, I wrote about Tommy, who was practicing money skills and decided he wanted to go buy a hash brown all by himself. He gave it a try, but came home with something else instead.
Today, it’s the rematch!
“This time, I’m getting that hash brown!”
Just like before, we walked through the whole shopping routine at home. Then Tommy grabbed his wallet and headed out the door.
And just like before, I paced around the house, a nervous wreck, waiting for him to come back.
Finally, the front door opened. Tommy was beaming.
Oh my gosh, did he do it? Did he actually get it?!
Then he pulled something out of his bag: a package of mitarashi dango (Japanese rice dumplings glazed in a sweet soy sauce).
Wait… where did the hash brown go?
It turns out the moment he walked into the store, the dango was the first thing he saw, and that was it. He was completely sold. The hash brown? Totally forgotten.
But Tommy held up his dango with so much pride.
“No eggs in this one. I can eat it!”
And that’s the thing. Tommy has an egg allergy, so choosing something safe to eat on his own is a big deal.
So it wasn’t the hash brown. But he picked out something he could safely eat, and he bought it himself.
Honestly? Hash brown, dango, who cares! He went shopping on his own, and that’s what matters.
He even remembered to put his change and receipt back in his wallet. And he told me exactly how much he’d paid and how much change he got back.
Wow. Look at him go!
But (and you knew there was a “but” coming) one thing was nagging at me.
Tommy never stopped to think about whether he had enough money for the dango.
This time, it just happened to work out. But what if he hadn’t had enough? At a small neighborhood candy shop, the owner might help him pick something that fits his budget. A convenience store? Not so much.
And if I send him out with extra cash, he’ll probably spend every last yen.
Hmm.
Here’s what I’m learning: being able to do the math is one thing. Actually using money in real life is a whole other skill.
If you have 200 yen, you can buy a 150-yen item, but not a 220-yen one. How do you teach that?
I think he needs more pretend-shopping practice.
And then, as luck would have it, his school is already doing exactly that.
At Tommy’s school, children in the special education classroom can sign up for a weekly event that incorporates SST (Social Skills Training). It’s all about building the skills kids need for school and everyday life through hands-on experience. And one of the activities? Pretend shopping!
Talk about perfect timing.
I’m so grateful that Tommy has access to a program like this. We still have plenty of challenges ahead, but I’m hoping that with real-life experience, he’ll keep picking up new skills, one step at a time.
And Tommy is thrilled, because every time he goes to practice, he gets to buy something he wants.
…Though I suspect that, to him, it feels less like practice and more like a fun treat.
Here’s to becoming a solo shopping pro!
