Dollar Dinners

Jean E. Lyman, New Mexico

What if you gave your children a few dollars to buy something for tonight’s supper? Would they choose wisely? Maybe it’s time to find out. I first did this activity with my children in the 1970s, when a dollar bought more. Since times have changed, you’ll likely want to allot a little more money, though I would still suggest a conservative amount.

At the supermarket, I told the children they could purchase anything with their dollar that they wanted for supper. Some of them bought sweets; others combined their resources to purchase items for a tasty supper. We all enjoyed the meal and the fun of shopping and eating together. I also recognized an opportunity to teach my children more. In the days that followed, my husband and I began to help them become more experienced cooks and grocery shoppers, learning to recognize economical, healthy food purchases. Thanks to my children’s enthusiastic efforts, our next dollar dinner, a few months later, provided another fun and interesting meal together—and an even more nutritious, satisfying experience.