They keep it in a little sack with your name on it.

I wish I could tell Migi exactly that. My poor cute 8-year-old. Last year, when we moved back here, the boys opened their own bank accounts and started learning to manage their own money (10% to charity, 10% to savings, 80% to spend at some point, but only on sensible stuff; for now that means Dad- and/or Mom-approved. Need/want has to be evaluated first). So they’ve been to the bank several times since then, sometimes bringing gifts from relatives in the form of cash or check, other times bringing coins saved up in a jar at home. Everything was fine and we thought they totally understood how banks worked — they knew the bank was keeping the money for them, that they money would be growing a bit while they are held hostage stored in the bank, and that they could take money out when they needed it. So far so good.

And then Migi started his own collection of state quarters. And became quite obsessed with looking at every single quarter in the house to find what he needed for his collection. He also began asking close friends if they had the quarters he needed, always with quarters in his pocket when he asked so he’d be ready to trade. AND THEN HE REMEMBERED all the quarters he had deposited at the bank. And had been hounding us for days to go to the bank with him so he can get some money. I must not have paid attention the first couple of times he mentioned this, and just assumed he wanted to take money out to spend on our next date or our next trip. NOPE. He wants his money back because he wants to check all of those quarters that he put in the bank, to see if any of them belonged in his collection! Ack! How bewildered and disappointed he was when Dad and I explained that one’s money gets mixed up with everybody else’s at the bank once you put it in. Just like here at home where they have their own jars/piggy banks/whatever, he thought that’s what the bank did! Personally I think it’s funny and cute that he thought this — what an image that produced in my head! — but he’s none too pleased. He did cheer up when I told him we could take some money out and request that they give it to us in quarters. But he’s still not 100% happy that it won’t be HIS money.