The face you make when receiving New Year's money.

New Year's money is a once-a-year treat for children. You get it from your parents, your grandmother, that bald uncle of yours, and even that slightly aging aunt. Money, that is.

This world is all about money.

At New Year's, children get money without doing anything at all. Money just rains down on them while they're just playing around. Is it really okay for this to be allowed? It's infuriating.

But I can't complain, because I received money when I was a child, too. What was done for you must be passed on to the next generation. You can't let it end with your own generation.

I used to hate that strange atmosphere in the moment you receive New Year's money. Since you're receiving money, you should be grateful, but you don't know what kind of face to make.

You can't just keep smiling, but it's also weird to have a serious expression. That's why children make such a strange, indescribable face when they receive New Year's money. They make that funny face while saying, "Oh, u-um, thank you... very much."

When I was a child, the New Year's money given by my uncle 'Ma-kun' was a larger amount than any other relative's. For example, let's say the New Year's money an aunt gave me one year was 3,000 yen. Ma-kun's was 15,000 yen. That's huge. Huge.

Ma-kun would often say to us kids, "Hey, line up," and hand out the New Year's money in order. I didn't expect much from the other relatives, but the money from Ma-kun was in a league of its own. Because of this, we kids loved Ma-kun.

We love companies that pay us a lot of money even when we haven't done much work.

Well, at some point, I became the one giving out New Year's money. My 6-year-old niece, my 4-year-old nephew, my college-aged cousin, and my middle-school-aged cousin.

The two cousins with the age gap are Ma-kun's daughters. What was done for you, to the next generation.

Yesterday, I went to my sister's house.
My niece and nephew are there.
They are in first grade and kindergarten.

How much New Year's money should I give these two innocent little fools? Fortunately, these two niece and nephew like me.

Whenever I see them, they always say, "It's Daki-niichan!" and cling to me, so I tell them to "shut up" while I play with them, but I want them to like me even more. I want to be liked more, and I want to be respected more. I want to be looked up to with admiration and awe.

In that case.

The world is all about money (power).

Right, that's it. I'll give my 6-year-old niece 5,000 yen. I heard the average amount from other relatives is 1,000 yen, so that's five times as much.

I'll give my nephew 1,000 yen. He probably doesn't understand the value of money yet, but he'll likely enjoy the sequence of numbers in 1,000.

So, I slip a 5,000 yen bill and a 1,000 yen bill into envelopes decorated with illustrations of nonsensical cats.

Now, I wonder what kind of faces they'll make. I'll have my sister call my niece and nephew over. They come thumping over to me, asking, "What is it? What is it?" They know full well I'm going to give them New Year's money, the little fools. They're cute.

"Now then, you two. How much New Year's money have you received so far? Go on, tell me."

"Huh!"

"Come on, tell me. How much did you get from Mom? And from Grandpa?"

My niece says, "1,000 yen," with a feigned look of innocence. My nephew doesn't even understand the conversation. Damn it. What cute little rascals.

"Oh, 1,000 yen, huh? Right, right. Well then, you two. How much do you think you'll get from me? Huh? How much do you think it is?"

"Uh"

"Come on, say it."

"Uh, well... 3..."

"3,000 yen? Is 3,000 yen okay?"

"Huh!"

While reacting with such surprise, my 6-year-old niece keeps that feigned look of innocence. My nephew, as usual, doesn't understand the conversation and is just saying, "Daki-niichan, ngongo." So, I ostentatiously open the New Year's money envelopes and say, "Look, look, look at this." My niece stares intently.

Out of the New Year's money envelope comes Ichiyo Higuchi, with the number 5000. A 5,000 yen bill. And for my nephew, a 1,000 yen bill.

Seeing this, the two of them don't know whether they should be excited or not, and they are making that indescribable face I used to make when I was younger.

So, I declare it loudly.

"Do you understand! Listen, you two! Respect me! Isn't it amazing! Hahahaha!"

"Amazing! Big Brother Darky is amazing!"

"Praise me more!"

Wasshoi! Wasshoi! Wasshoi!

Well, I feel like maintaining my self-esteem with things like this isn't good for their education. For next year, or for my own children, I want to establish a system for New Year's money.

For example, a presentation method. I'll have them calculate what they want to do for the year and the money required for it, and have them present it to the adults. A New Year's money presentation system where I give them an amount appropriate for their presentation.

Or, New Year's money investment. I'll put their New Year's money and allowance until they turn 18 into a specific account, like a NISA account created for children. I'll teach them how to read charts, and allow them to withdraw an amount based on their age from the money that increased over the year.

A combination of these two would also be fine.

If I just blindly give them New Year's money without thinking, it will raise children who stop thinking for themselves. I want to change that starting with my generation.

I think that this kind of education regarding money, even if they don't realize it when they are children, will lead to them respecting me when they grow up, thinking, "Come to think of it, Big Brother Darky..." or "Come to think of it, my dad..."

Above all, it will be for their own good.

Money is just a means to an end. It has no value in itself.
I want children to know that.

I can't wait to do this for my own children.

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