What happens if the banks run out of money?

Recently my son developed a new special interest: money. For a couple of weeks, we spent hours talking about it, counting it, stacking it, and recounting it. Then he went on holiday with his dad—the longest we had ever been apart. While he was away, my mind wandered, as any parent’s would:

“Will he be okay?”
“Will he miss me?”
“Will he still love me when he gets back?”
“What state will he come home in?”

But then, because of where my head was at, I also found myself wondering…

“Will he still want to count money when he gets back?”

I half expected him to have moved on. But the moment he walked back through the door, the very first words out of his mouth were:

“Can we count my money?”

Of course. I should have known. Nothing about this boy surprises me anymore—he’s fascinating. Over a week apart, and that’s what he’d been holding onto. So, we picked up right where we left off: counting. A few trips to the bank followed, paying in his notes. But then a problem emerged: his money box was looking empty. He didn’t like that one bit. So he asked me, quite seriously:

“How can I make money?”

A question I’ve asked myself many times over the years!!!

Naturally, options for an seven-year-old are limited, but I had an idea: a car boot sale. For those outside the UK, it’s where you pack your car with things to sell, drive to a big field or car park, set up a stall, and people come to browse and buy. Perfect in theory—but it could also go very wrong.

First issue: my son is a hoarder. His bedroom is bursting with books, toys, and treasures from babyhood onwards—none of which he likes to part with. In the past, when I’ve dared to throw things away, the reaction has been… intense. Add to that his PDA profile, which makes demands—even ones he chooses himself—feel overwhelming, and I knew this could be a huge challenge for him. So I wondered, would he even agree to sell anything? To my surprise, he did. He sorted through his things and made a pile for the sale. I worried how he’d cope seeing strangers touching them, picking them up, inspecting them. For a child with PDA, even that level of uncertainty and lack of control can feel unbearable, so I knew we’d have to tread carefully. I also worried about his pricing. He was adamant that his big plastic dinosaur was worth a tenner. I wasn’t convinced. Still, we went for it.

On the day, he helped pack the car, organised his stall, and set out his prices. When the crowds arrived, he held his ground brilliantly. There were a few tense moments (to be expected), but he handled it better than I ever imagined. And the dinosaur? It became the star attraction. At least thirty people asked about it, but when told the price, they all walked away. My heart sank each time. Then finally—a boy ran to fetch his mum, and she came back with a £10 note. Sold! My son was absolutely thrilled, and I was close to tears.

That was the turning point. From then on, everything felt like a success. He sold more and more, stayed engaged right to the end, and helped me pack up when it was over. Of course, once we got home, things wobbled. The whole day had been intense, out of routine, and exhausting for him. But after a bath and some downtime, he began to settle.

Then came the best bit: counting his takings. £53.75. Straight into the money box. To say he was over the moon would be an understatement. And so was I. The first thing he asked the next day was whether we could do another one. I was non committal on this  – we were heading into Autumn so car boot sales were coming to an end but it was a good idea to collect things to sell next summer. I was sort of hoping that the interest in money would slow down a bit. But there was no chance of that. Since the car boot we have counted that money over and over again. And as he was getting into bed the other night he asked….

“What happens when the banks run out of money?”

And that’s just it. With my son, the questions never stop. His mind is always racing, searching, wondering. And to be honest I didn’t know the answer. I know its not an option of just printing more money!! So I gave him the only answer that made sense…“Well, if the banks run out of money… they’ll just have to come to your bank and borrow some.”

But I’m not entirely sure he liked that answer!!!