Definitely Worth It...

The end of the school year brings with it lots of activities, concerts, award ceremonies and parties.  This year, our school year ended on a great note for all of our kids, but especially our daughter, who graduated from high school on Sunday, May 20th.  My focus during the month has predominantly been on the Mom side of life and I have been pulled away from the blog.  I apologize for the absence but I know in my heart, it was definitely worth it...

Brittany giving her Salutatorian speech

Brittany and me

I plan on being back in the blogging and business world in June.  Any advice on keeping family life and business life balanced?  It seems to be a difficult balance to achieve....  :)

Are We Talking with our Kids about Money?

Mint.com recently posted an excellent infographic about parents, kids and money.  The information is based on a study by T. Rowe Price and is definitely worth sharing.  Take a look...

What My Mom Taught Me about Business

I originally wrote this post last year for Mother's Day.  I just love the memories in this story so I thought I would share it with my new readers this year.  I hope you enjoy...

Mother’s Day is just a few days away and it has me thinking, of course, about my mother. Take a look at the lovely photo to the left. Yup…that’s my mother and me at the grand opening of her craft store. (I’m the one in the “Little House on the Prairie” dress!) I believe I was about four years old at the time.

The Hidden Cost of Graduation

Brittany, Class of 2012

My oldest child will be graduating from high school in just a few weeks.  There are certain costs that I expected during the Senior year and many that surprised me.  I thought you might find it interesting to see what we have spent to get our little girl to walk across the stage.  Keep in mind two things:  1) This is only graduation costs...not prom or college visits; and 2)  Some of these expenses are optional.  Time will tell whether I improve our graduation budget for our younger three children.  It's very hard for me to say "No" during moments like this with our kids!

High School Students Work to End Human Trafficking

Hope for Slaves

Last week, I wrote about Raising Charitable Kids and Teens.  The response to that particular post has been wonderful.  This week I want to tell you about a group of high school students who are working to end human trafficking.  The group is from Reading High School in Reading, Ohio.  They, in conjunction with Westwood schools from Camilla, Georgia, are working to raise awareness of modern slavery and are raising money to support individuals and families who have been rescued from slavery.  Here is the press release that they sent me:

Wrapping Up Financial Literacy Month

from 401K's photos on flickr.com

April is Financial Literacy Month in the United States.  The Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy  describes this month as a time to "draw attention to the importance of financial literacy and the need for more and better financial education through a variety of activities and initiatives." 


To celebrate Financial Literacy month, I have gathered 30 activities, one for each day of the month, that you can do with your child or teen to help start them on a path of financial responsibility.  Here is the final installment.

Family Earth Day Activities

Earth Day is almost here!  The official date is April 22, 2012.  Reducing waste, recycling and reusing items can save you money, teach your kids to save some money and help out old Mother Earth in the process.  Take a moment out of your busy weekend and try one of these activities to celebrate Earth Day.

Raising Charitable Kids & Teens

The April Edition of Teaching Your Kids about Money

Teaching your Kids about Money is a comprehensive guide for teaching your child or teen about money management and financial literacy. At the beginning of each month in 2012, I will give you more information and tips about introducing these topics in your family and will share some practical ideas for implementing these concepts into your everyday life. For previous months' topics, click here.

Part of learning to handle money in a responsible manner is also learning how to be charitable and giving in nature.  I would venture a guess that no parent wants their child to become a miser and act like Ebenezer Scrooge, but parents may worry that if they focus too much on financial concepts their child might become overly fanatic about money.  Striking a balance between managing their own money and helping others is yet another skill that takes practice. 

As with many money management concepts, there are differing opinions and methods.  The key is to find the approach or combination of approaches that works in your family and that matches your family’s values.  I have seen two fundamental approaches to getting kids involved in charitable giving.