Blogs From Our Experts
Seasonal survival guide
A couple of weeks ago, I overheard co-workers talking about how much money their families will spend in the coming months. With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up, this season can get expensive for families, so it’s important to plan ahead – an essential money-management skill for kids to learn.
Read More »
Turning the TV off (and the budgeting on)
The kids all sat there with their mouths hanging open. My husband and I had just dropped the news.
After months of looking at options, evaluating costs, weighing pros and cons, we had a made a decision.
We were cancelling cable.
Read More »
Negotiate a back-to-school allowance raise
September brings the beginning of the school year for kids, and Labor Day – a federal holiday honoring workers since 1894 – for adults. What better time to give your kids a lesson in negotiating “wages” – in this case, their allowance.
Children bargain instinctively from an early age, so they might enjoy turning this natural tendency into a useful financial tool.
Junior-bargaining-table rules
Read More »
Overcoming Greed
How do we raise children who save, pay themselves first and follow through with other recommended financial practices for security while staying generous and altruistic?
Initially, being self-centered is developmentally useful for survival. But once a child’s survival is secured, parents can show them how to live in social groups and show concern for their fellow man.
Here are some ways to develop our kids’ social interest.
Read More »
Monopoly money styles
What started out as a fun night of Monopoly for my family recently, ended up giving me valuable insights into each of my children’s personal financial styles.
● Erick, the saver. He held tight to his money, even when his older siblings encouraged Erick to buy real estate, in order to earn rental income. When his older sister LaShana asked him why, he said, “I need to save enough money in case I have to pay rent.”
Read More »
A very fat piggy bank
For years, our two older kids have been begging us to buy them a Nintendo DS.
My husband and I discussed it and decided that, as parents, we didn’t think they needed one. Well, clearly they don’t “need” one, so perhaps it’s better to say that with all of the other things that surround them – from books to art supplies to physical games and electronic game systems – we didn’t want to add one more thing that would vie for their attention.
Our eldest was particularly frustrated by this decision.
Read More »
School of hard knocks: Teaching your kids to value their stuff
With school due to start up shortly, I am sure you’re bracing yourself for the classic kiddie moans:
“I think I left my jacket in the school yard.”
“I don’t know where my thermos is.”
“I left my backpack on the bus.”
“I can’t find my running shoes and they weren’t in the lost and found.”
Read More »
