When my 12-year-old son Ben eagerly accepted our wealthy neighbor Mr. Dickinson’s offer to shovel snow for $10 a day, he was thrilled. Every morning, he worked hard in the freezing cold, saving up to buy gifts for his little sister and me. But just before Christmas, Dickinson heartlessly refused to pay, calling it a “lesson about contracts.” Ben was devastated, confused, and in tears. That’s when I knew I had to step in—not just to get him his money, but to remind him that doing the right thing still matters.

The next morning, our whole family bundled up and started shoveling—but not to clear snow. Instead, we moved every bit of it onto Dickinson’s pristine driveway, burying it under a mountain of ice and effort. When he came storming out in anger, I calmly explained a little concept called quantum meruit: if you refuse to pay for someone’s labor, you don’t get to keep the benefit. That night, Dickinson handed over the $80 Ben had rightfully earned. My son got his gifts—and learned that standing up for yourself is worth its weight in snow.