Can a 5 Year Handle Disappointment?

YES! One afternoon I found myself running an errand with just one child. Amazing.

The end.

Just kidding. There's more. Eden, my kindergartener, has been learning that her money is what she uses to buy things she wants. But like most parents, I wasn't sure if she really... you know...got it.

One afternoon we were driving to the store. She had taken her folder out of her backpack. She pulled out all the flyers and handed one to me, asking what it was. As I quickly perused the document for a price on the activity and didn't find one, I proceeded incautiously to excitedly relate the details. "Oh Eden, this looks fun! It's water sports--like water fights at school. But you get to play sports and get wet in your clothes! It looks like it starts in a few days."

Eden: "Mom, that sounds fun! Can I do it?! I could really love to play in the water at school!"

Me: (finally seeing the tiny little brackets where they had listed the price, and realizing the absurdity of the price and feeling like I wasn't prepared to discuss why I couldn't pay for the class) "Oh Eden. This class costs $60 dollars."

Before I could go on, Eden exclaims, "60 dollars! I don't have 60 dollars!"

My jaw dropped...and then a smile took its place. She wasn't looking at me, though. She was thinking as we were walking into the store. I remembered to offer some sincere empathy. "Oh Eden. It's so hard when we don't have the money for things we want."

She continues, "How about we do something else, like ..."

Me: "Play water sports at a park with our own squirt guns?!!"

Eden: "Yeah! Or how about we just go swimming!"

Even better. How about swimming?!! You better believe it! Free. All the water you can handle. Yep, looks like she can handle her own disappointment. She didn't just handle it. She kicked it's ugly hiney.