JIM “PAPPY” MOORE: A Grand Idea

I have two granddaughters who are 11 and 14. They are both avid readers. They love to read books for entertainment. I am very happy about that and encourage it.

I have a method I’ve invented to encourage their reading, and to add to their world knowledge. It began with my taking both of them to Barnes and Noble monthly. I’d let each one pick out her book, then we would pay for them and leave. But that way meant dividing my time in the bookstore with both of them while driving there and back, with both of them at the book store, instead of just one.

I decided to refine my process. Instead of one trip on one weekend to take both of them I would divide it up so that each month I would take each one to buy a book, where that would be her trip only. No sister. This allows me to focus on each granddaughter singularly, and make more of my time with them on their book acquiring adventure. It made each trip to the book store a more important trip for them and me. Grands like one on one attention from a grandparent. It allowed me to query them about their various other activities so they could talk freely about themselves without having the other sister there.

As our system evolved, I decided to throw a new wrinkle at them. This one would help them understand personal finances and the world of sales taxes. I would give each one a $20 bill before we got inside the store. I made it clear that out of that $20 they had to pay up to $1.65 in sales tax for the privilege of buying their book. I wanted them to have the adult experience of knowing that every time you buy a book, some level of government takes a few dollars out of your pocket. This is an important lesson and the sooner they learn it, the sooner they ponder why we must pay so many taxes for the privilege of buying something.

I also told them if they bought bargains, they could make money to put into their own pockets on their purchases. I encouraged them to find that $11.99 book so they could pay for it, and the tax, and still put $7 in their pocket for whatever else they wanted to buy, whenever they wanted to buy it.

One grand likes to keep some of that cash. One likes to stretch her $20 and shop on the inexpensive side to buy TWO books at a time. This is the kind of result I am happy to see. Freedom is about freedom to pursue the choices at hand, not necessarily the ability to escape pesky elements that are annoying and intrusive (like that sales tax).

This approach I have developed can be modified for any system you might like for your grands. Use their own interests to guide you. Be the grandpa or grandma who gets them the things they like. I want my grands to have a library of books on the shelves that Paw Paw bought for them.

A reader who cherishes their books keeps them forever. Hopefully, they’ll be up on the shelf long after I’m gone.