Thursday, March 31

Ways To Teach Kids About Money

 

You are working day and night to meet ends and secure a bright future for your kids. You want to provide all the facilities to your children which as a kid you wanted to have but could not avail. Why not! But in the process, it is important to make kids aware of the most crucial thing which makes the world go round and that is MONEY, honey. If you have not till now, then consider ways to teach kids about money!

teach kids about money
Teaching kids about money is really important.



 Money matters are an important aspect of living. Parents often keep the issues relating to money and it's saving with them. And the children remain unaware of how their needs and wishes are met and from where the money comes to fulfill these demands. As a result, the kids are not able to learn about some hard aspects of their life; firstly the hardships suffered by the parents to provide a happy life, and secondly the importance of money management. 

17 Ways to Teach Kids About Money


Teaching money matters may seem to be a difficult task for parents. But it is not so. The concept of money can be introduced to a child as soon as she learns to count! And as the child grows older she can be taught about different denominations and coins and which coin is bigger than the other. Later the parent can move over to the concept of earning money by way of doing a job and spending it on needs.

 You can make your child learn about money and its importance in the following ways-

1. Take an active interest in teaching the money concept to the child and give him or her information about currency and coins. 

2. Inform the child that by way of money, important daily items of the house can be purchased. 

3. Take the child along for grocery shopping and show him labels and prices of various items. Also, teach him to purchase things wisely so that money is not wasted on unnecessary items. 

         
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4. Educate him to differentiate between needs and wishes and help him to prepare his shopping list on the basis of mandatory items required for his daily needs. 

5. Provide allowance to kids based on weekly or monthly needs. Ask him to jot down his expenses so that he can keep a track of inflow and outflows of money on his own. 

6. Make him save a small amount of money out of his allowance. Provide him a piggy bank wherein he can save his coins.


7. Avoid associating allowance with the fulfillment of daily house chores by the kid. 

8. A teenager can be further taught about the importance of saving money and the need for a bank account. Accompany your growing teen to the bank to make him learn about various bank transactions.

9. Involve the growing children in open decisions on finances and ways to make vacation trips and purchases like A/C or refrigerators as economical as possible. 

10. Encourage the child to donate old toys and clothes and other articles so that these are put to good use. In addition, encourage them to be a part of charity programs, raise funds for a cause, and provide basic amenities to needy people.



11. Make the child aware of the pros and cons of taking loans, and the uses and side effects of debit/ credit cards. This would help him to understand the usefulness as well as the downside of every situation.

12. Show them the opportunity cost of their action. In case, they spend their allowance recklessly on video games, remind them that the same amount could have been saved for their dream visit to Disneyland.




13. Another interesting way to teach the importance of money saving and mindful spending is to download apps that calculate costs for kids, reinforce value of saving and much more.

14. Help your teen child to earn money in simple ways like teaching to younger kids, summer jobs, selling crafts/ artwork, etc. That is a brilliant way to demonstrate that earning money does not come easy.

15. Contentment is another important aspect. Build a sense of satisfaction and gratitude among your kids for what they already have and value the priceless things that even money cannot buy.

                           
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16.  Help the kids to understand how purchase offers, deals, weekend offers, festive offers, sales and discounts work to get the best deals when it comes to online shopping. Show them the prices available at nearby market and compare with the online offers. Evaluate all aspects of both kinds of shopping and choose which serves the best prupose.

17. Demonstrate healthy behavior towards mone aspects yourself. Remember kids are observing when you spend a lot on not necessary things or when you fight with your partner on financial issues. Let them instill the right value for money through you.

All these steps will make the child money conscious and prompt him to save money and use it judiciously. The money management concept will have lifelong benefits and protect the child from financial hazards throughout life.

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Tuesday, March 15

Safety concerns for kids

Children are soft targets to many unwanted situations and risks. At home, school, malls, parks, etc the children are exposed to a variety of safety risks. In absence of adequate safety measures and education, they are unable to protect themselves from these hazards.

Crimes like abduction, murder, sexual abuse, trafficking are at all-time high. With wrong intentions anti social elements pick small kids and teenagers leaving behind parents and family to suffer for whole life. Sometimes the kidnapped child is traced on time and returned to the family but sometimes the child is never found. Such cases of abuse and murder later on are increasing. Most of the times, these risks can be avoided and safety of the child can be ensured if adequate precaution and measures are taken.

Parents should be observant and educated about the safety measures so that their kid is secure at all times and at any place. They can also teach their kids the ways in which the latter can act prudently in an unfavorable situation.

Safety Guidelines for parents


The parents should be aware about the daily schedule of the child and changes if any.

They should know the names, addresses and contact numbers of the friends of the child.
They should get in touch with neighbors and obtain their contact numbers and stay connected.

Before choosing a baby sitter, verify her whereabouts and credentials. Go for the one who has been recommended by your friends and relatives. Also take feedback of the child about her experience with the baby sitter.

Always accompany the younger kids in the malls, parks, streets or any other crowded areas. Do not leave them alone.

Make sure the child carries his identity card while going to school and all his belongings are properly named along with contact numbers.

Parents should create a friendly atmosphere where kids and teenagers can share their feeling and experiences freely and can feel secured and safe.

Safety tips that parents can teach to their children

As soon as the child is able to understand, he or she should be taught his name and then his address, parent's names and contact number. He should be able to use the phone in case of emergency.

Always visit only those friends and neighbors who are approved by parents.

The child should be taught to take permission before leaving the house and tell about the place of visit.

He or she should go along with an adult or friend before going to nearby market or going to school or any other place.

The child should be educated about the course of action in case he gets lost in a mall or any other place.

If a tween or teen is pressurized to have drug or alcohol then he should be able to refuse it.

Also the child should be given proper guidance for the situation where any stranger approaches him for directions or lure him or touch him or compel him to eat something. It can be dangerous.

A child should be encouraged to use tried and tested bus routes and roads to reach their destination.

These basic safety tips can prevent many unforeseen and undesirable situations and keep the children protected.

Monday, March 7

Prepare your child for the real world

Let us do a reality check. Our children are surrounded by all sorts of entertainment. Gadgets, television, movies, malls, the internet, iPods, fancy toys, and so many other things take them away from the real world. Throughout their school life, the children demand and get things done for them. They are living in some kind of dreamland with a golden spoon in their mouths. 

parenting tips
Prepare kids for the real world!



After that, they are suddenly introduced to the world which is new for them. There are thousands of children on the streets who either beg for their next meal or are forced to work when they should be playing while our kids either spill or leave their plates half-finished. The latter ones hardly need to stand in queues or travel in public transport or walk. They have the latest models of cars and wish for private aircraft. Trains and buses are so outdated stuff! 




We brought up our children with so much protection and luxury that they don't know what does hardship means. However, out there is a selfish and biased world that is unkind to the novice entrants. Survival of the fittest is the rule and means to stay ahead. Everybody is pushed into a never-ending race, a neck-to-neck competition, and a perpetual struggle of ego and power. 


Now consider another aspect. The front-page headline reads that a teenager assaulted by a neighbor. And your young boy is having a look at that piece of news. What would you do? Take away that paper or ignore the question in the eyes of your child that what actually the news mean? Just one more instance to ponder. One of your close family members is having a life-threatening disease. Would you conceal or would you make your child aware of the reality? Do you have the guts to make your child face the reality of life and death? Or maybe you don't want him to feel the pain. Or are you scared of all the questions that he will ask about these sensitive issues of life? 




Who is supposed to enlighten the child about these critical and sensitive issues? These are just some of the questions which have been narrated. There are just too many things that need to be explained to the child which as a parent might not have caught our attention. Maybe we have thought of discussing these subjects with our kids when they grow up. It is important to prepare your child for the real world and make him wiser. 

He may be a good artist, player, singer, or student. Maybe he is very intelligent and sensible. Still, he needs your experience and wisdom to take the world in his stride. The writer is not a preacher. These are just a thought process that has come across and shared with all of you. Here each one of you is welcome to come up with your own experience where your child has come up with a certain sensitive issue and the way you handled it.


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Wednesday, March 2

Evoke physical activeness in your child

Electronic exposure like television, mobiles computers, and video games have replaced simple things from life-like playing in the park, joining any sport, or bonding with friends face to face. This has brought about laziness and a lack of vigor in the children. This trend has a direct effect on the physical as well as mental health of the young generation. The diseases like obesity, heart problems, depression, and diabetes are affecting youngsters. Here it is important to evoke physical activeness in your child.

Physical activeness tips for kids
Encourage your child for physical activities


Being physically active and fit is important for the complete development of the child. That's why the parents need to inculcate the interest of their child in physical activities. This would help the child to maintain good physical health. Moreover, involvement in any physical game not only assures a fit body but also leads to mental and social well-being.

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