This week after doing our core classes of English, Math, Reading and Spelling, my son and I have been handling the errands that must be done each week. While at the bank, other customers were happy to see my well behaved son holding doors for them as they entered and left. The teller's are always thrilled to see the polite young man my son is becoming. At the drugstore we got some things for our dojo and my son got candy with his money. The sales lady was telling me how all of her children bought their own candy and applauded me for helping to instill a strong sense of money in my son. We've done that since he was 5. Instead of mom always buying what he wants, I've fallen into the habit of asking him to make sure he has his money to get the stuff he wants. He learns to budget his money and he quickly learns the value of a dollar. I'm sure I'm not the only parent that has seen their child ask for everything under the sun, when the bill is going to mom and dad. However, when they have to foot the bill, suddenly they may not need that new game or candy bar as bad. My son has become a smart shopper, today he used some of his birthday money on a Wii game, new it would have been more than he had saved, but he bought pre-owned and had money to spare after buying today. Just little things like that go a long way. It may not be a text book education, but I really think that we as parents not only need to make sure our children are book smart, but common sense and survival smart has to play a part. No matter what my child does when he grows up, he will have the tools to make smart decisions with his money. If he is wealthy and has lots of money, then he will know how to spend wisely, if he doesn't have tons of money he will know how to make what he has go farther. Isn't that what parenting is all about anyway? Preparing the next generation to meet the challenges of life head on.
See you next week.