If your child has ever suggested you just pay with your credit card when you said you couldn't afford something or wondered why your family vacations are less grandiose than the neighbors (or cousins!), you know how early money education can and should start. There's so much you want your child to know about money before they leave home, whether it's about spending and saving, investing, interest rates, and real estate. And frankly, if you're like me, there are some of those things you're a … [Read more...]
Parenting: The Ongoing Lesson of Appreciation
When each of our four kids was born, we set up a savings account in their names. Every month, we toss in a bit of money – and I mean a bit, especially now that it’s split four ways – with the idea that one day, when they’re older, we’ll gift them each with whatever we’ve managed to put aside in their name. We haven’t thought out the particulars – maybe it’ll help them pay for their first car or part of a college education, or maybe we’ll just surprise them with it after graduation – but … [Read more...]