>Miss Moneybags

“You’re just the person I wanted to see,” I told my 16-year-old grimly as she came through the front door on a recent afternoon.

She attempted an innocent smile.

“Remember that talk we had about keeping your windows closed when the air conditioner’s on? Especially when it’s 90 degrees outside?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said casually. “Sorry about that. I’ll go close them.”

“I already closed them,” I replied. “But I thought of a way you can pay me back for all the money we wasted on air conditioning. I want you to clean the playroom and vacuum it.” This is great, I thought to myself. I would never have had time to get the playroom cleaned before we leave for vacation tomorrow. How did I get so smart?!

She paused and got that familiar stubborn gleam in her eye. “What if I just pay you the money?” she asked airily, as if her mattress were stuffed with Benjamins.

“That’ll work, too,” I said.

“Okay, then, how much?”

“Twenty dollars,” I said quickly. I saw shock cross her face before she turned and resolutely headed for her room, where she began fumbling in all her secret hiding spots for the cash. The girl was stubborn, all right. As stubborn as Angelina Jolie in a third world orphanage. I shook my head, then made a show of rubbing my hands with glee. “I can’t believe it!” I squealed. “Twenty dollars! That’s like, a shirt at Forever 21!” 16 paused, her face red. She tried to stall.

“It wasn’t like I meant to do it, you know-” she started, frowning.

“Look, 16, I’ve got stuff to do,” I said. “I can’t stand here and wait all day for you. It’s twenty dollars or clean the playroom. Take your pick.”

Abruptly, the sophisticated facade disappeared. She slumped back into her familiar teenage posture. “I’ll clean the playroom,” she sighed.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because I could really use the $20.”

“Yeah,” she said, “I’m sure.”

Don’t worry. I’m no Mrs. Hannigan. This happens to be the first time I’ve had to come down on 16 in months.

But I think I may have found a new way to make some extra cash. Or at least get back some of the bills I’ve been spending on babysitting lately.