Conversation with kids..."Nothing is Free"...Enlightening...

By Leo
@d_e_v81 (360)
Singapore
November 8, 2010 4:56am CST
So I got to talkin with some of the kids I teach during our down time in class. I dunno how the topic got started...let me try to recall what I can...but I'm sure ur like gonna go "awwww...." in the end... kid 1: I bought a pair of jeans yesterday. They had a sale. buy 1 get 1 free! me: nothing is really free...they buy it for say $25, sell it for $75 and tell you you get 1 free. They are still making $25 profit for every 2 jeans you buy...There is no such thing as 'free' kid 2: How about the water we get when we turn on the taps? me: Our government buys it from Malaysia. Tax payers' money goes to treating it and sending it to our houses. kid 3: I know! I know! if you invest, you get money for free! kid 1: if your investment fails, you will lose your money! (impressive huh? 10 year olds we are talkin to!) kid 3: no...no...i'm talkin about...if you pass (lol)...then you get free money me: technically, no...you need money to make an investment. Say unit trusts, you need to pay $1000 to buy the fund of which 1% will be deducted for the broker. Even if you...errm..."pass"...you have actually paid $1000 to make the money. (I was desperately tryin to win this debate. lol!) kid 2: Sleep! you get sleep for free!!! me: you need a bed to sleep on! and you paid for your bed. so sleep is not free. kid 2: you can sleep on the road! me: taxpayers money...that is your parents' money goes to paying for constructing the roads. so technically, you are paying to sleep on the road... *after some careful pondering.... kid 4: you can slap someone for free! me: you need the energy to slap someone from the food you eat. you pay for your food! so you are paying to slap someone. kid 3: My tooth grows for free! so my tooth is free! me: then you need to pay to maintain your tooth! dentist bills...paying for Colgate, toothbrush etc. You are paying for your tooth or ur gonna loose it... *after somemore serious pondering...a quiet kid at the back of the class raised her hand... kid 5: I know what you can get for free... everyone turned to look at her... me: ok...give it your best shot! (I know I was winning this argument already...that nothing is free) kid 5: love...i get love from my parents. and its free. they don't expect me to pay. *silence I was stumped. So I admitted defeat...but I couldn't stop smiling... :)
2 responses
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
9 Nov 10
I was laughing at first reading thing and finally got teary eyed. Kids are awesome. But they're really smart! Thanks for sharing.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
9 Nov 10
PS. I think you're teeth will still grow no matter what though. You may have already lost there. Haha.
• Canada
8 Nov 10
Children are so much smarter than people give them credit for. It's so amazing, when you talk to children with respect, how they suddenly start acting like little adults (well, most of the time!)