Smart Money, Smart Kids
Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money
Editorial Review
There are two distinct extremes when it comes to parenting. First, there are the straight-laced, locked-down, rule-setting, control-freak parents who try to force their kids into a tight little box where they have no opportunities to make any decisions on their own. Some of these kids grow up, run off to college, and go completely crazy. That's because they've never been given an ounce of freedom. They simply don't know how to make good decisions because they never had the chance to make any decisions. Then there are the parents who seem to drift through life with no clear plan or boundaries; no rules, no guidelines. They let their children go freely. Those are the kids you see at restaurants screaming and throwing silverware across the table while the parents sit there, seemingly clueless, as they enjoy what they think is a nice, quiet dinner. Those kids cannot make good decisions because they've never been made to behave. Lucky for the next generation, these are not the only two options. There's a middle ground where your kids will be ready to accept responsibility of adulthood someday. It's a balance between enforcing strict rule-following and allowing personal responsibility.
Book Reviews
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Wisdom to Share
A content person still wants to do better and be better; he's just not pinning all his hopes and dreams on that one thing.
There's always an upgrade; there will always be a new "next big thing" fighting for your child's money and attention.
The very purpose of marketing is to make you think your life is somehow incomplete without the purchase of a product or service.
Children who can learn to plan are more poised and confident because life is not always happening to them – they are happening to life.
By teaching your children to work and divide their money among the Spend, Save, and Give envelopes, you’re already teaching them the basic framework of budgeting.
That's not to say that every young person on the planet is selfish and greedy, but let's face it: The act of giving isn't always the first thing they think about.
If you want children who are not selfish, and who view wealth as a responsibility, then you must teach them that they don't own money – they are simply managers of it.
The strongest impact on children, though, is when they hear and see a consistent message from their parents.
Slowing down and saving up to buy things teaches them to make wiser, less spontaneous purchasing decisions.
The most important thing to do when it comes to teaching your children how to be wise spenders is to be a wise spender yourself.
These non-paid chores help teach kids how to be good citizens who willingly volunteer to help others.
You want your kids to understand that money comes from work, but you don't want to go so far that they end up thinking they should get paid for everything they do.
there will always be things kids should do around the house just because they're a member of the family.
As your children grow, the chores, responsibilities, and the money amount should grow to reflect their ability.
You want each job to be enough that it feels like a big accomplishment, but not so much that it seems complicated.
Once kids understand that money comes from work, they won't be able to spend money on a toy without considering how much work went into actually making that money.
Handing out money and not teaching work habits create people who whine, who feel entitled, and who become perpetual victims.
They expect their parents to keep paying their bills into adulthood, or they think the government exists to care for them.
Work gives them both dignity in a job well done today and the tools and character to win in the future as adults.
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