Sesame Street has a website that parents and educators can use to teach kids about money, making choices, and more. Children learn about money by observing their parents and by following their example. As a parent or educator you can guide your children’s understanding with easy activities about making choices, determining what is valuable, sharing, spending, saving, etc. As a result of this education, your kids will grow up to make good financial decisions. The process of learning should be fun and at their level. Check out this link for ideas and activities: http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/save
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Family
Recently my husband and I decided it was time for us to create a will and set up a
power of attorney. We have been married now for about 6 years and we realized that if something happened to both of us at the same time, no one would really know what we would want done with our assets.
This realization prompted us to pay the $275 worth of lawyer fees to get everything set up. If you don’t have a will, maybe it’s time you thought of setting one up. Although it is somewhat uncomfortable thinking about a time when you won’t be on this earth, it is inevitable and we might as well just face that fact. You never know when your last day may be, and we can never discount the possibility that a terrible accident may cut our life short. Of course, in these cases, it’s important for loved ones to hire experienced wrongful death attorneys in your area to gain legal advice, but if you have written a will, the whole process will be made much easier for them.
A great way for couples to manage their money effectively is to routinely set up money dates. Pick a time when you are both alert and set aside about 30 minutes to discuss your current financial situation. Be sure to touch on any outstanding or upcoming bills and evaluate your current debt situation. It is also important to talk about how much you are saving as a couple each month and what your goals are for the short and long term.
Couples who set up money dates on a regular basis find it much easier to manage their money. It is important for both parties to understand where the family is at now and where they are headed. Both can contribute to the discussion and can have input into where changes need to be made.
If you want to go on a family vacation such as taking a trip to Disneyland, a great way to save enough money is to do it as a family. Get the kids involved by encouraging them to think of creative ways they can contribute. Open up a savings account specifically for the trip and then as the funds come in, put them into this account. Give your family frequent updates on how much has been saved so everyone is aware of how far you’ve come and how far you still have to go in order to achieve your goal. If you want to take your savings to the next level, read this guide about how to plan and save big on Disney vacations.
Make it a team effort to come up with the money. It will be fun! Your kids can do odd jobs around the neighborhood to earn extra cash. Perhaps they are old enough to babysit or can pitch in and help with recycling. Collecting cans and getting a refund is a simple way to earn some cash. A lemonade stand is also a fun idea.
If your younger children are getting antsy around the house during the Christmas holidays, you may want to direct them to the Starfall website. It’s an educational website that helps children learn to read while doing various fun activities. It is interactive and colorful and best of all it’s completely free!
A friend of mine who has young children told me about this website and apparently her kids love it, especially her youngest who is four and a half years old. If you want to encourage your kids to improve their reading skills, this is a great way to do it.