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Teach your kids about money

One of the biggest things parents have to learn is how to educate their children about finances. I don't mean to just give them the money. Truthfully that will never make them street wise. I believe that how my parents raised me about money is the best way. You have to appreciate what you have before you can really appreciate things. My mother has always told me that I would never understand why people get upset when others just jump on their furniture until they bought their own couch. Let me tell you that are so true. I get irate every time I see Jason run across the room and throw himself on the couch.


I’m definitely not a pro on this subject but here are some of the tricks that I have learned over the years from various people:

1. Start with you – If you don’t understand money, you can’t teach your child. Learn about how to keep a budget and staying within those limits. Learn about cost saving things. Learn about investing. Learn about savings. Go to the experts and find out so that you can save yourself money as well.
2. Teach them by example – Now I’m not telling you to explain all your bills. I wouldn’t want to do that and neither I’m sure would you. But I do keep a calendar that shows when a bill is going out or is due. They see me keeping an actual system they know that you are doing it. Explain that accidents do happen and how to pick up from it. Or when they want something special and you have a bill, show them the bill on the calendar. This, also, helps to keep you accountable for your finances.
3. Set an allowance up - Start your children on allowance early. Now this doesn't mean that you just give them money every week. They need to earn. By earning the money, they feel like they are accomplishing something. A lot of people do the allowance by age such as if you have a 7 year old, you might give her $7.00. That is a dollar per age. If that’s too steep, just lower it down. But always do it so that it’s equal across the board with your kids. Now remember you are not just going to hand this money out for nothing, have them do chores around the house like doing the dishes, cleaning their rooms, etc.  Note:  I am not saying that you can never splurge for them.
4. Open up a savings account for them – Take them to the bank to open up a savings account. Explain how important it is to put money into their account. Now the trick here and yes you will probably shake your head at me is to let them control the account. Yes when they first have money they will spend it frivolous stuff but what they will learn as they grow if you don’t give them more money, is that they have to save to get what they want.  Teach them how their money can grow in the bank.
5. Talk about the prices of things – Talk to them about how much something cost. Look at what they want to get and how to go about getting something. If they want the newest game boy, take them to the store and see how much it is. Then talk with them about how much they have to say in order to get one. Something on the lines of: “Ok that costs $90; you need to keep your allowance for 6 months to buy that.” Don’t fall back on I’ll just buy it for you. They won’t learn about saving to get something.

So how do you help your child to learn about money?

Walk Down Memory Lane

Ok so yesterday I had a question posed about my profile about what job I loved and gave up to come home to be with my family.  I decided to do a walk down memory lane post.  Its a good day to do it since its Sunday and such a blessing of a day.  It's raining out and my thoughts are turning to old past times.

I have one sister and three brothers that I love dearly.  My parents are both still living.  I thank God for that each and every day.  My heart goes out to anyone that has lost a parent.  I grew up in a very dysfunctional family so hey that might be why I am who I am.  But I'm much more complicated than that. 

Early on in life, I met the man of my dreams, Michael.  Michael was a wonderful man.  I lived through so very much with him.  I watched someone die from diabetes.  Back in that time, diabetes was not understood at all.  I remember firing doctors because they would literally ask my husband what to do when he was sick.  Yes that makes sense lets ask a man that is in a delirious state.  One of the reason that you hear me constantly tell you to trust your instincts when your little one is sick. 

Did I ever mention that I'm a grandma?  I doubt it.  You see when Michael passed away his daughter's mother decided it was best that I not be involved in her life anymore.  I respected that wish.  How could I not?  It wasn't until she was 18 years old that I did approach her again.  My heart believed that she deserved to know a little about her father.   Now here is something that I have never talked about.  You see, when I met with Christie, I found out that she always worried about her father.  She worried about if he was saved.  Something that I know he was.  She worried because no one ever allowed her to speak of him.  She wasn't allowed to talk about what she remembered so the memories faded.  I was handing her back a photo album with all of his pictures.  Today I miss that album.  There were such memories of who he was in it.  But I hold his memory in my heart.  He was the first person that taught me to love unconditionally.  He was my blessing.  My angel on earth.  And now he is my guardian angel.  The thing was when she came to meet me.  She brought her family.  Her husband.  And my little grand daughter.  I cried when I saw her.  You see her child looks exactly like she did.  So much of my precious Michael was in her.  I don't see them now but they are always in my heart.  Christie didn't know me.  How could I expect her to include me now?  I still mourn him though.  The love is always there.

Ok so while I was with Michael, I was also suffering with endometrosis.  And that story could go on and on.. so go here and here for that information.  Long story short I ended up not being able to have children before I was 23 years old which was when my love, Michael, passed away.  I spent 10 years mourning him severely.  Oh I dated a lot of men.  They'd want to get close I'd back up and say see ya.  I had 2 dates in one day.  I'm not bragging here.  It's just that when you are in this stage you don't really think.  You try to hide your feelings.  I did.  And I did it well.

During all this time, I continued working as a Administrator.  I was good at my job and I loved it.  I didn't want anything else.  You see, when you know that kids are not a possibility in your life.  You don't think about getting married.  You don't think about having a family.  You don't think about it because it hurts to know that you aren't capable of doing so.  Instead you become goal driven career minded.  Or so I believed.  I volunteered during those years for various organizations, such as:  Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce), American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Tall Stacks, hospitals, schools, literacy organizations, etc.  Before you start saying I'm so good.  That's not true.  I did it for the feeling that I got as a volunteer.  It is an amazing feeling.  If you haven't given of yourself freely please consider volunteering.

I turned to my sister's kids for my maternal instincts.  I took them to Kings Island and various other locations.  We made a gingerbread house every year so that my sister could go shopping.  Its not that I didn't want to adopt at this point.  Its that I did not want to inflict my problems on someone else.  I spoiled her kids as if they were my own.  I always went home feeling empty.  I hated going to any baby shower.  I tried not to tell anyone how I felt.

My job was going great.  I had the looks of going to the top of the chain.  I was working for Great American Financial Resources when I met my husband, Ken.  I was moving up in the ladder at work and here was this good looking younger man who was interested in me.  We had a lot of fun.  Honestly I never dreamed I would end up being married to him.  I still remember my thoughts "wow he's a great guy.  We can have some fun until he decides he wants to get married and have kids."  Nearly didn't marry him for exactly the same reason.  I wanted him to be able to have kids.

How was I ever suppose to know that we would end up having two children?  Well as it turns out Faith came along eight months after we got married.  I adopted her as a step mother adoption.  We were fine financially until Faith became ill.  We couldn't keep her well.  She was sick all of the time.  I love Faith with my entire heart.  I don't believe that I could be a better mother if I had been able to carry her myself. 

OOps have to run..hope you enjoy it.  Oh I forgot if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Christmas Memories

My Dad and Faith.. such a joy that she loves him so

My living room on Christmas morning

No money but still spoiling the kids regardless.

The kids were beyond excited.  Which is good since this is pretty much all they will get on Christmas.  I'll write about that later this week.

Got new remotes for the Wii games.  Kids took advantage of it.

They were scary.

Wii Fit is a great game but...  As you can see in this video, they got pretty close to knocking each other out.    I'm very very thankful that my husband didn't record me when I was doing the boxing game.  I got to close to the tv and ended up taking off all of our decorations on the mantle when I hit.  But I did get a good workout.

Jason is sitting in his truck that he got at Grandma's.  This is the only other gift he got besides ours.

Faith got a CD player from Grandma.  This has become my headache daily.  She is playing it constantly so loud that I can hear it all over the place.

My baby niece, Gabrielle, in one of the dump trucks.  Isn't she adorable?

Me and Gabrielle

Happy New Years - 2010

It's a New Year.  I'm sitting here thinking about all the wonderful things that are in my life.  We start the new year as a family together sitting watching parades and cartoons.  Interesting combination my husband has going on.  Does your significant other switch channels all the time?  Its irritating but right now it is what it is.

I thought about New Year's resolutions that I had last year.  Did I do them all?  No I haven't.  Am I happy today as I was last year?  Well No I'm happy.  So that must mean that all those resolutions weren't as important to me as I thought.

So let's see what last year brought me...

We had an awesome winter.

Faith and her sister.  Can't see the family resemblence can you?

You probably can't tell but in the middle of the snow on top of my car is a layer of ice.  It was so beautiful and deadly at the same time.

In February, my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.  Our love is still going strong.

Though it was challenged when he destroyed our backyard with his 4 wheeler.

In March, we legally adopted our son, Jason on March 27th.

In the judge's chambers with my mother at the adoption.  Doesn't Jason look so happy?

In April, we celebrated Jason's first birthday with us when he turned 4.

Though his party wasn't until May.  We, also, celebrated the new arrival of our 2nd cousin, Alexi.

We, also, said goodbye to my nephew, Will as he got ready to go in the army.  We ate at the Golden Corral.  We are praying for him daily.

In May, we celebrated my birthday and mother's day.  I got some pretty flowers and great drawings.  Faith made me a plant that died in days.  Faith saw her first parade as well.

In June, we celebrated father's day.  Ken was allowed to sleep late and then we had a great time together.  We had an awesome summer.

In July, my great nephew Aiden was born.

In August, we had lots of fun playing with the kids and getting ready for the new year at school.  My nephew, Scott, started kindergarten.

Faith with my sister-in-laws puppy, Choffi.

The kids at McDonalds.  Don't you think this is a great picture?  I was shocked at how it came out.

Isn't Tom gorgeous?

In September, Faith went back to school.  We watched the WEBN's Fireworks on tv.  Totally awesome firework's display.  I want to stay at the Covington Mariott next year for it.  There is an awesome bridge show that you have to be on the Ohio River to see.

Isn't this spectular?

Faith went to the Alexandria Fair Grounds with her cousins.

We, also, celebrated the arrival of my niece, Gabrielle.

We celebrated my grandma's 90th Birthday party

Doesn't she look great?  We found out that grandma was moving to Florida with my aunt that day.

My mom's cousins.  Although I don't know how she thinks they aren't mine too.

Jason started preschool as well.

In October, we celebrated Halloween with Jason being a skeleton and Faith as a cat.

We went to Florida to see my brother and sister's families.

Jason was so happy to be out of that car and know we were in Florida.

We saw Aiden for the first time.  Doesn't my sister look great for a grandma?

We road a train with the Florida Railroad Museum.  We got to see a really neat gunfight on it.

Of course we played on the beach as well.  It was high 90's the entire time we were there.

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving with our families. 

We went to the Newport Aquarium with Faith's class.  We looked for Santa but didn't find him.  We saw sharks, octopus, penguins.  The kids were writing a report on penguins.  They had a grant to do this field trip.  What a great surprise.  Afterwards, my husband took me to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch.

In December, we celebrated more Christmas's than I can remember.  We had one with my mom where she cried when she opened her gift.  I made her a photo album on Snapfish of the last 7 years of our lives.  So she got to have a book with all of these pictures.  She was so excited and planned on taking it to Florida with her.

Don't you love it when they are that touched with a gift?

We celebrated Christmas with my dad and grannie Fran as well.

We had our private Christmas as well and then on to the cousin's Christmas.

The kids were ecstatic.

Nieces and Nephews Christmas 2009

And of course, we celebrated my husband's 34th birthday.

We went to the mall that day.

Lots has happened this year.  Not all good.  Not all bad.  Babies were born.  Feud were started.  Weddings are coming.  Houses were bought.  I've cried, laughed, screamed, and so much more.  The point remains.  I survived another year.  I celebrated another year with my family.  Nothing bad matters as long as you have your health, your family, your friends.. thats all that is important.  So no resolutions for me this year.  Just great times and great friends.

My heart goes out to those who have lost someone

Christmas time when I was growing up was never a good time. Oh don't get me wrong. We had joyous fun. My dad decorated the house with Christmas lights. In fact, one year he even won an award. His father used to decorate every year. We had tons and tons of presents. A lot of that had to do with my mother.

But I never really talk about the part that I always worried about. You see my dad obviously didn't enjoy the holiday and every year he did something to show us. Holidays were always upset by him at some point. When my parents split up, we saw even less of him during the holidays which didn't make sense since all of us kids were grown up and had kids. The five of us kids had pretty much mutually decided that my father simply didn't like the holidays for personal reasons. As a small child that is a very hard thing.

Last night as my father and his girlfriend, Fran (or as my kids call her Granny Fran) came over. We were sitting just talking when dad started talking about how he stayed out of his kids’ lives. The personal issues between each of us as well as any marital relationships that he believed that he didn’t have the right to say anything. Now he has said this throughout the years over and over so it wasn’t anything new. The new part came when he shared something about himself that I never knew. I’m 44 years old and never had this been spoken in front of me. My dad told me that he had just learned something new about himself. He told me that he now knew that us five kids believed that Christmas was a bad time for him. I quietly agreed with that. He told me that he was sorry that we felt that way but that the holidays are very hard on him. He was 17 years old when his brother died and sixteen months later, his father passed on as well. I watched as we spoke my father’s eyes fill with tears. My dad hardly ever shows emotion so it was very shocking for me. Yes he will hug you and tell you he loves you but it is very rare occasions. You simply know that he loves you.

My Grandpa

But it started me to thinking. My dad held all of this inside himself for all these years. I can name on one hand how many times he spoke of his brother or his father. He never got over it. He admitted that as much last night as I have ever seen. So I offered to have Christmas in July with him instead. We can go camping or fishing. We don’t need to do the holidays and hurt him more or maybe we do need to do them so that he remembers how much we love him as well.

My dad and Uncle Phil (Not sure about the others)

To those of you who have lost someone, either recently or in the past, please try to share your stories.  Please try to remember them with good memories.  I talk freely of my first husband, Michael.  Even though it hurts me.  By sharing these memories with others, you allow your loved one to live on in the hearts of others.

My heart goes out to you all.  God bless you all.