With inflation on the rise (gas prices, grocery bills, health insurance premiums, etc.) and many companies being more conservative, more American families are feeling squeezed. So if you’re feeling guilty because you can’t buy your child that video game system he desperately wants or send him to that trendy summer camp, Eric Tyson has one word for you. Don’t. In fact, he says, now is the perfect time to teach your kids some valuable financial lessons.
“Kids are surprisingly aware of what’s going on in the world,” says Tyson, author of the new book Let’s Get Real About Money! Profit from the Habits of the Best Personal Finance Managers. “And if they don’t know that times are a little bit tough and Mom & Dad are having to watch their spending, it’s time to tell them. Sheltering kids from financial realities does them no favors.”
Indeed, the opposite is true, says Tyson. A good grasp of personal finance is one of the most valuable life skills a person can have. And while previous generations may have been raised with the constant admonishment that “money doesn’t grow on trees!,” too many of today’s parents neglect that lesson. It’s time to change that-and the economic slowdown we’re in now provides a great incentive for doing so.
“In many ways, a slower economy can be a blessing in disguise,” admits Tyson. “It leads families to make a budget and stick to it. It forces them to be conscious about how they handle money. That’s good for kids. It shows them how the world is supposed to work.”
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Cheers…Amanda van der Gulik…Excited Life Enthusiast!