Ahh summer.  Which means garage sales!  Have you taken your kids to a garage sale?

We recently went to a community wide garage sale.  The last time I brought my children anywhere close to a store it was a disaster, nearly requiring me to football hold two squirming crying children as they hollered about everything they wanted me to buy them.  So a community-wide garage sale, where we walked from house to house not buying them anything was going to be great!

We had a trick up our sleeve, though.  Before we left, I offered to let them bring $10 each, of their own money, to spend on whatever they wanted.  But, they had to manage it all, from the negotiating, to the paying to the carrying of their treasures, it was entirely up to them.  We’d help, of course, but they had to figure it out.  I gave my daughter (six) a purse she could put her money in and my son (eight) had a zip up pocket he could use.

Garage Sale Junkies

As we drove to the community, my children were gleeful with the thought they could buy whatever they wanted!  Of course there were fights because one kid had 10 $1 bills and the other kid had 5 $1 bills and a $5.  It took forever to convince them that it was equal; they had a hard time hearing over squeals of “not fair!” and tears.  Finally, they were able to take a deep breath and realize 10=10.

At the first house, my daughter made off well, a jewelry making kit and hair ties, for the girl that never wants her hair done.  My son tried to want things, but there was nothing there for him, so it was obviously, “not fair”.  By the second or third house, we realized my daughter has no taste.  But she can charm the purse off of anyone.  Literally.  She convinced someone to give her a Vera Bradley purse, for free!  She also bought spray paint art the family had brought back from Jamaica that they bought off a street vendor.  Clearly high-class art.

We continued around the community and my children just kept racking up the purchases.  Or rather, they kept getting free things from people!  Jewelry, fireman hats, people were so amused at my children shopping and our willingness to let them make decisions that they started offloading their own junk to us!

Only once did we have to talk my son down, when he wanted to purchase a broken combat helmet.

King and Queen of Junk

By the end of it, my husband and I were nearly in tears of laughter at the purchases and experiences we had.  We came back with a car full of someone else’s junk, I only purchased some clothes for my daughter and a glass jar.  My husband got a seed spreader.  The rest of our full trunk came from our children, including a Lego Duplo set (I had gotten rid of ours like 3 years ago!), a lightening mcqueen sleeping bag, more hair ties, a sword, more questionable art and so much more.  My daughter also very sweetly bought me a bracelet and herself a matching one.  She’s already lost her, but I’m not taking mine off.  It’s a daily reminder of her sweetness and a really fun, awesome day.