Cost of Living Lessons

At the elementary school today, the third grade was learning about careers, cost of living and living within your means. Each child was randomly assigned a "job" and received a salary. Then the kids had to deal with their monthly expenses (they were given a list), and the goal was to NOT run out of money before they were done. They had to find a place to live and get transportation, buy clothes and groceries and more. Parents were asked to volunteer, as help was needed running the various tables. I was assigned the MEDICAL table. I wore a pair of scrubs I happened to have on hand, and brought some medical supplies and the boardgame "Operation" for props. In truth ... the kids really weren't too excited to buy medical insurance, but just like the new health care reform, some insurance was required for everyone. I handed out some bandaids to those who bought the higher end policies ... surprising how popular a simple bandaid could be. It was fun to go help out at the school and be a part of the kids learning life lessons.