Worth It

Last night when I got home from Baton Rouge, I saw Delaney out back, dressed in long sleeves in the heat, shovel in hand, moving dirt from the pile we'd had delivered into a wheelbarrow. I walked over there, and he said he was still working to earn more money. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he'd asked Tia for another chore and she told him to move dirt.

I then asked him if it was worth it. This is what he worked 12 hours for and spent $120 on.

He had a big smile on his face and said it was totally worth it. There was a little tax, and he owed me $5 for that, and I said he had to earn $15 more to put into savings since he'd spent that much, but he was OK with that and eager for more.

No complaints, and he worked an hour or so last night. Today I saw him turn off the TV, get dressed up, find a hat, and head outside. The mower cranked up, and he was going over the inner pasture where Tia had asked him to cut that down again. It's growing grass nicely, and another cutting would kill most of the weeds.

We're paying Delaney $10/hour, which is a lot. I think we paid Kyle that before, and while we might be overpaying, I think it's worth it as well. The boys seem to have learned that they need to work for things, and they're putting effort in. Kyle has earned money for a trip to Phoenix this year, and Delaney is earning money for things he wants. While he has an allowance, he knows this is how he gets ahead quicker.

I think it's worth it.