August 2, 2026 at 7:35 pm

A Mom Helped Her Daughter Count Birthday Money for Toys — Then She Made a Point to Thank the Store Employees

by Jayne Elliott

happy little girl in a toy store

Shutterstock

As a parent, it’s a good idea to help your kids understand the value of money and how money works. One way to do that is to give kids an allowance or money for their birthday so they can pick out and pay for their own toys. That gives them the opportunity to learn about money in the real world.

In this story, a retail worker was really impressed with how a mom helped her daughter understand the value of money and how money works. She was even more impressed when the mom took a moment to thank the employees for their patience and to explain what was going on.

Keep reading for the whole story.

Best parent that I’ve seen in a long time

Closer to the end of my shift today, a family came into the store. It was a mom, dad, and two daughters, probably around 8 and 6.

They browsed for a bit, and every once in a while I would listen in. The mom kept asking the daughters if they had enough money for what they were buying and the girls would think it over and answer.

When they picked out the items they wanted to buy (two Disney Infinity characters and a game) and my coworker told them their total, the mom turned to the oldest daughter.

“You’re paying for these with your birthday money. Do you remember how much money you have?”

The mother took her time helping her daughter with the money.

When the daughter shook her head, the mom pulled out her money and slowly counted it with her daughter, letting the daughter add up the 20 dollar bills.

When the girl had decided she had $80, my coworker reminded her that she owed $65.

The mom asked her if she had enough money to pay for her new toys.

The daughter replied yes really hesitantly, and her mom encouraged her to be confident in her answer. So the daughter handed the money to my coworker, who rang up the transaction, gave her the change and helped her count it out.

The mother later explained.

The daughter thanked us and began to leave, carrying the bag, but the mom stayed behind to thank us.

She was trying to help her daughter understand the concept of money and its value, and at other places, cashiers would get impatient with how long it took the daughter to count her money and decide if it was enough.

It may seem very insignificant, but examples of good parenting coming into my store are few and far between, and I thought I’d share with you all.

That definitely is a good example of good parenting.

Let’s see if Reddit agrees.

This person loved the story.

2026 07 29 at 6.46.28 PM A Mom Helped Her Daughter Count Birthday Money for Toys — Then She Made a Point to Thank the Store Employees

Another person shares their opinion.

2026 07 29 at 6.46.37 PM A Mom Helped Her Daughter Count Birthday Money for Toys — Then She Made a Point to Thank the Store Employees

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a woman who got family pushback after gifting jewelry to her stepdaughter.

I bet this took awhile!

2026 07 29 at 6.46.56 PM A Mom Helped Her Daughter Count Birthday Money for Toys — Then She Made a Point to Thank the Store Employees

A parent says, “thank you.”

2026 07 29 at 6.47.12 PM A Mom Helped Her Daughter Count Birthday Money for Toys — Then She Made a Point to Thank the Store Employees

A little patience can make a big difference. It was nice of the mom to express her gratitude for the employees being patient with her daughter. It’s also great of the mom to want to teacher her daughter about money by giving her the opportunity to pay for her own toys. Excellent parenting!

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.