Have you ever been in a business and the employee had a hard time counting back your change? Most business cash registers these days do that work for the employee. But what happens when they don't? Bake sales? Checking your own change? Are these skills important?
Maybe it irked you a bit. Standing there waiting. Or maybe you threw them for a loop by giving them an odd amount with the intent of getting a whole amount back. And they stood there dumbfounded?
I can clearly remember working a bake sale as a child and getting confused counting back change. I don't remember if it was a fluke or a skill I didn't have. What I do remember is the sinking feeling in my chest. The flushed face of embarrassment. And the hit my self esteem took. I can remember the horrible feeling as my teacher kept demanding I get the customers change to them. And how the more embarrassed I got the more impossible it was for me to get the change correct. It was horrible and probably had a pretty strong impact on me.
Bill Would Require Counting Change in School
Meredith H. Mitchell, author of a “Bill would require counting change in school” brings to light the dying art of teaching our students how to make change, count currency, and utilize paper money and coins for purchases.
If you have ever notice that most cash registers prompt the user on how to make exact change therefore not requiring the cashier to think through the transaction. With the use of debit and credit cards most of our younger generation is more astute with using virtual pay versus cash payments.
Let's not lose basic life skills
In this article it is suggested, that our parents and educators ensure that our students take a business math class or class that teaches money management and practical math techniques such as making change. As each generation comes of age and as technology advances, some life skills are lost and no longer utilized. The State of Arkansas believes that some life skills should not be forgotten and is looking to pass a bill to re-teach and integrate practical math back into the classroom.
Key Takeaways:
Really aren't these skills essential for life? Even if a computer does the work shouldn't you be able to know if the work was right? At least have a general idea.
I always check my change at the store. It takes only a couple seconds of mental processing and it's good for the brain anyway.
We should make efforts to make sure our kids develop these skills too. Else it will be a pretty sad world when no one can check to see if the math is correct.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.
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