T is going to turn 11 soon so I thought it would be fun to run a test to see how well we are doing in growing a rich kid. But how do you check if you are making good progress in teaching your child about money? As a way to benchmark our efforts, I…
Category Archives: Financial Literacy
Listen Up! Financially Savvy Kids Learn Most From Parents
I don’t remember my parents talking to me about money when I was growing up. I do have a clear memory of one family gathering – I must have been about 10 years old – and hearing my Uncle Peter joke that he’d be showing his daughter all the household bills when she was…
Cathedrals & Financial Literacy – What’s The Connection?
Parenting is a tough gig. And biased though I am, I think being a mom is the tougher role, especially in the early years. Don’t judge me too badly but I call parenting of the 0-3 year old set, “The Drudgery Years.” What got me through them was the mantra, “The days are long but…
Three Secrets To Raising A Child Who Loves Reading
Reading helps calm me down by pulling me into another dimension. Leaving my body, I enter a portal into the book. When someone intrudes, I get sucked out like I’m taking a bullet train. (excerpt from “Hey, It’s Time To Read” a narrative writing exercise by T in fourth grade) One of the greatest…
Forget Chores. Here’s A Different Way to Earn An Allowance
The best way to give your child an allowance – just like many aspects of parenting – is a matter of debate. An allowance system that works for one family won’t work for another. Alisa Weinstein – a mom whose creativity and work ethic blows me away – has come up with a new concept…
Weekly Round-Up: May Equals Mayhem For Moms Edition
As far as I’m concerned the month of May should be renamed “Mayhem!” When you’re a parent, this is the crunch month. School goes crazy with events, big homework projects and other requests. Sports are in full swing so you’re running around making all the games and meets. There are church events and Scout events….
Money Lessons From My Mom
Today’s post was inspired by a question from Jean Chatzky on Twitter this week. Read on for a lesson for all parents. First some background. I’m incredibly proud of my Mom. She grew up on a farm in Ireland and was very bright at school. My grandparents were unable to afford for her to…
Friday Test: Read This And Tell Me What It Means
It’s Friday so time for a test. Imagine you need to open a bank account. You head over to your local bank and pick up a leaflet. Start reading the descriptions above and see what you learn. Doesn’t make sense, right? That’s because in this document, every word that requires a grade level 12 reading…
Blind Leading The Blind – Why Parents Need Help Teaching Kids About Money
I’m the first to admit that I had a lot to learn about personal finance. And sadly, I didn’t get smart about it until a few years ago. While I might have come a long way, I’m still learning. All of this leads me to wonder: just how qualified am I – and other parents…
Financial Literacy In Schools: What We Can Learn From Australia
It’s never been more important for kids to be educated about financial literacy than today. As the country’s economic woes deepen, we need to prepare the next generation to be smarter and more fiscally responsible with their money than this generation was. As parents, we can do this on an individual level, but imagine the…
