Balancing act: 'Reality Town' gives daughter a taste of adult life

Now she understands why I go a little bit nuts every time someone in our house only eats a few bites out of an apple or half of a banana. I see that partially eaten food in the garbage, and it's like finding ripped-up cash in there.

My daughter said she also learned more about what she called the "person-to-money ratio."

"I had a little more than $4,000 and five people in my family, and I barely had enough to pay for all of them at the end," she said. "So it seems to me that a better ratio would be at least $1,000 to one person a month, based on the plan that I went with."

That's an interesting thought, and I'm glad she's considering such realities. But I was especially pleased with her overall feeling about the day.

"In my life, I'll probably continue to shoot high, because I want about three kids when I grow up," she said. "I know that, to support that many, me or my spouse has to have a fairly high-paying job. So I'll just continue to shoot high and make good choices and all of that."

That sounds like a great plan to me, and knowing her, she'll succeed. But I also hope she remembers that reality isn't all about jobs and money and trying to make ends meet.

When I get home from work each day and see my wife and kids, I feel like my personal reality really begins. And that doesn't bite at all.

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