Money Values For Kids

"My nine-year old son is always asking me for the latest video game, shoes, or DVD, with no thought about the cost of these things. I know I spoiled him when he was younger by buying too many toys and clothes for him. Now I'm worried that he'll grow up without a clue how to manage money and live within his means. What can I do to teach him about money?"

Just like many adults, today's children are riding high on the massive wave of consumerism that's taking over our society. It's easy for them to succumb to peer pressure and feel that they are not 'with it' if they don't have the latest gear- Heelies, Crocs, flip phone, Playstation Portable, IPod, and more.

What can parents do to combat all these negative spending influences? Our challenge as care-givers is to substitute positive values that teach children about money - how to earn it, keep it, and make it grow. To be successful in re-programming our kids, we must first be good role models by practicing successful money management too.

You can start your kids on the road to being wealthy, well-adjusted adults by imparting the practical values inherent in the money rules below. Let's look at three key laws which will show children what money is really worth.

1. Money is earned

Many times, children don't see the connection between work and money. They see their parents heading to the ATM, where by magic, money appears; and they receive gifts upon demand without having to expend any energy to get it. You can change this by having a family discussion about working to earn money. If they are old enough, show your children your pay slip and your budget. Explain to them how each dollar you earn goes towards expenses or saving for the future. Let them make the link between your long hours at the office and the money that they wish to spend frivolously.

Encourage their entrepreneurial spirit by helping them to look for opportunities to earn extra money. One client recounted when she was only six years old, in response to her father's talks about making money, she tried to sell oranges to her friends at school for profit. When she realized that her schoolmates were not interested in the whole oranges, she had the bright idea to sell them in quarters. This time she was successful, and actually made more money than she would have if she had sold them whole. Today, she is still involved in entrepreneurial ventures, thanks to her early money programming.

2. Money can multiply

Hand in hand with a discussion about working for money, should be a lesson about money working for you. Explain to your children that they can earn interest (more money) when they put away some of their money in the bank. An easy way to do this is to have them save coins in a piggy bank and when it's full, match their savings by giving them 'interest'. Open bank or credit union accounts as soon as they have accumulated enough savings and let them keep their bank books so that they can see the interest being added to their accounts.

Download a savings calculator online which your children can use to play around with different savings amounts, interest rates and time periods to see how fast their money can grow. You can explain that this is called the magic of compounding. The value being taught is that there is a reward when you defer spending and instead choose to invest. By putting away a little of what you had planned to spend now, you will have much more to enjoy in the future.

3. Money should be shared

Heavy consumerism brings a 'me-first' attitude in our children, where they are only concerned with all the goodies they want. Encourage an early spirit of philanthropy by asking them to donate a toy or item of clothing for every new one they receive. Have them actually take their donations to a children's home where they can give them to the less fortunate children. Help them to realize how lucky they are and how to be content with what they already have.

Read stories of the good works of wealthy people like Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates, and our own Jamaican philanthropists such as Ferdinand Mahfood, who have made a big difference in the lives of many people around the world. This will also help them to understand that we all have a duty to assist each other in society.

© Cherryl Hanson Simpson

By Cherryl Hanson-Simpson

Cherryl is a financial columnist, consultant and coach. See more of her work at http://www.financiallyfreenetwork.com and http://www.financiallysmartonline.com Contact Cherryl.

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Bullying at School Can Be Solved by Coordinated Teacher Student Effort

It's one of those subjects that is difficult to quantify. Ask anyone who ever attended school if they witnessed bullying and you will always hear a yes, to some degree. Ask educators today and some will tell you that not only does it exist, it is getting more vicious. In spite of all the efforts to educate, and expect good treatments between students, the fact remains: bullying is common.

The triggers for bullies are generally shallow and petty, revolving around appearance and dress. But to school age kids, the reasons, however inconsequential they seem, don't matter. Bullying has very real consequences for the victim: dread, fear, insecurity, and a sense of injustice.

A bully looks for is someone to make him feel big and powerful. He initially looks for someone who looks helpless. All bullies are counting on the victim to give them what they want -- to be upset, to cry, to show fear, or to act angry. Instead, the best way for someone to protect himself is to simply NOT react. Ignore him, walk away, or tell him to stop. Period.

The other main thing a bully looks for is someone who is alone. The best way to avoid bullying is to stick together with other students. The common bully does not want to attract attention, so if you make eye contact, tell him to leave you alone, and stay with some others students, you can often avoid confrontations.

Another way to feel more confident is to know some self defense moves, although actually practicing them on campus is likely to bring on more trouble than the bully himself. But the simple matter of boosting your self respect and confidence could be enough to keep the bully at bay. In most student situations, an adult is not present or the bullying takes place off campus. Knowing some simple ways to defend yourself can instill a sense of calm, self control, and non threatening inner power which is often enough to make a bully think twice before instigating a power play.

When bullying starts, it's often with a casual rude remark, name calling, and criticizing in a petty way. Before reacting physically, or with emotion, it's always best to laugh and walk away. By simply and effectively tossing off the comment, the bully is denied the very thing he wanted - control and power over another person.

The one fact which may come as a surprise to the person bearing the burden of the bullying is that he or she is not the only one to feel helpless, angry, and scared. The potent and socially devastating effects of bullying are that everyone feels this way when they see it. You are not alone, nor is anyone else. Bullying affects everyone, but if no one says or does anything about it, everyone feels isolated from one another.

More and more schools are adopting a "no bullying" policy, along with education about how kids can handle it together. Aside from stricter repercussions for bullying (and that's up to the adults in the schools), students are encouraged to act together confronting bullying if they see it when an adult is not around. By encouraging kids to act, and by educating them on the truth of how it affects everyone in the school, students are free to speak out and stand up the bully. That takes courage, admittedly.

The sad fact is that most bullies become hated and despised by high school. They tend to be the ones with very few friends; no one trusts them or wants to associate with them after they hit their teenage years. Most bullies become loners and are often the ones who turn to criminal behavior before they are even adults.

The bully is a problem in many schools, indeed, but by training kids in how to deal with one, and encouraging strong peer relationships as a means of dealing with the bullies, most schools can deal with the problems before they peak in violence. Further means of ridding schools of the threats, requires adults to take the problem seriously when it occurs, assuring the victims that their strong, peaceful means of combating bullying will be upheld with stricter consequences if the problems continue. An adult/child solution is almost always an effective means of thwarting bullies.

By Armando Toral

Armando Toral is a 3rd. degree Black Belt in Aikijutsu and creator of the Useful Self Defense Video Series, to get your free access to watch a sample video go to:
http://www.usefulselfdefense.com

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Kids and the Inauguration - Sharing the Day

The January 20 inauguration of Barack Obama offers parents and teachers an opportunity to witness history together with their kids. Politics aside, help children understand the significance and connect to the moment. Talk with them:

- Discuss how a person becomes president

- Find photos of inauguration events

- Read parts of past inauguration speeches

Talk over key questions:

- What are the president's responsibilities ?

- Why do we say our political process is by the people , and why is this important?

- Why is this election historic and what were some of the events that paved the way ?

Keep things simple and age-appropriate. Find a site that talks about Barack Obama's life when he was a child. What prepared him to be president? What should he do once in office?

Visit the PBS Webpage that enables kids to send a message to the president, teaching them that everyone can participate in the discussion: http://pbskids.org/speakout/

Watch the coverage together. On Inauguration Day, Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m., vignettes featuring footage of the President-Elect's Oath of Office, will air on Nickelodeon, The N and Nicktoons Networks.

Kids are interested in the election, with the Internet allowing them to learn and participate in new ways. Nickelodeon polled kids this fall on their election choice, with a record-breaking 2.2 million kids participating. Nickelodeon has held a Kids' Vote every election year since 1988, and kids have now correctly predicted the winner in five out of the last six U.S. presidential campaigns. This year, they did correctly pick Barack Obama's win.

By N. Elizabeth Burdette

N. Elizabeth Burdette shares ideas for parents at http://withkids.wordpress.com, and is co-owner, LB Toys, http://www.lbtoys.com

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Choosing the Right Toys For Your Kids

Kids normally love to play. But as a parent, you should know that when they are playing, you can also make use of this time to educate and teach them about the important matters. This is why buying educational toys would help your child in improving their knowledge and behavior while they are still able to enjoy and play.

We are past our childhood and when parenthood is reached, you should now know better about the importance of playing and how it can contribute to child's development. Playing is the means where a child can think about things that matter in his life. He can also try assuming responsibilities and act as a grown up. During this time, you can aid them by giving the safe and educational toys.

Children can play with anything. They can make use of any material that is within their reach. When you give him toys, they can play with it in any manner that they want. Thus, if you want to hone and develop the skills of your child, then you should choose the right toys that they should play with. When you do this, you will be able to help your child's development and you can also ensure that the time that your child spent for playing had been worthwhile.

There are many kinds of toys that a parent can buy. The market has already manufactured different types and you can make use of this option to get the best for your child. Most parents would prefer buying the educational toys over other kinds because they can be more helpful in honing the skills of their children. You should also consider this option if you aim to make your child more developed mentally and physically.

Now that you know the benefits of having educational toys, you should start finding these kinds in the market. There are many stores that sell them but you should also know more about what you are looking for. You should know that the educational toys are the ones that your children can enjoy. They are still toys but your children are not only playing since they also learn a lot of things while they are playing. Your child can learn the things that would be useful for them in the future. They can be in any form and the lessons can be so simple.

To ensure that your child is learning through the use of the toys, you will have to guide them. You should be present while they are playing so that you can also be their teacher when they want to know how their toy works. Also, you should make sure that the child is enjoying the toy so that his interest would be kept and he will continue playing with the educational toys that you bought.

When you are able to do this, your child's development can improve in lots of ways. Thus, the benefits that you can get from the simple educational toys can be more than how much it is worth.

By Rachel Nunez

For more tips and information about educational toys, check out http://www.thekidstoystore.com/science-kits.html.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Nunez

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Entertain Your Kids With Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are one of the many toys you can give out to your kids. Putting pieces together is a good exercise for the brain, especially when it involves a logical way of putting it. The more difficult the puzzle is, the more challenging it can be.

More and more puzzles are being sold out in the market. The puzzles come in different forms. Even toddlers can enjoy puzzles when they come into different sizes and shapes. For adults, crossword puzzles are popular. It's easy to have this because even at the back of newspapers on their entertainment sections or in magazines, they come for free.

But what you can enjoy the most are jigsaw puzzles. As a little kid, these puzzles have been my passion. These can vary depending on the number of pieces they have. They can even come double-sided to make the puzzle even more challenging for the kids. They can either be two or three-dimensional. Nowadays, graphics have advanced. So the designs you see, when you are out looking for these toys, can be so exciting to look at. It's for everybody, may it be for adults or for kids. These are the toys that you will surely love because they can be both entertaining and educational.

Jigsaw puzzles are easy to find. So if you're out doing shopping for home supplies, you can take a quick detour to the toys department and just grab one. If you are a busy mom, looking for the perfect toys, puzzles are everywhere online and it can be easily delivered to you. Do a search over the internet about them and thousands of links will surely direct you to the best toy manufacturers all over the globe. The good thing about shopping online is that you get to see all the possible varieties a puzzle could have. It will be very easy for you to read the features and component of these toys. So you can make sure it is really safe for your kids' use.

Everywhere you go, you can count on these puzzles to entertain you. When you're busy cooking and your little ones start to seek attention, you can use this as temporary diversion. They can crimp on your living room, and give them the space to just put the jigsaw puzzles together. Give them a challenge to complete the task before they eat lunch or dinner. And it is a good time for you to complete your chores without worrying where your kids have gone. This way you can get busy and you just know where to find your little ones.

There are lots of ways to give fun to your kids. Even as simple as giving tender loving care can make their lives colorful. Simple toys can be simple gifts and you won't regret a thing if you choose to give the best things in life for your kids. Nurture them with toys and you can even love you even more, even just for a jigsaw puzzle.

By Rachel Nunez

For more tips and information about Jigsaw puzzles, check out http://www.thekidstoystore.com/jigsawpuzzles.html.

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How Can I Promote Safety to Kids Fond of Ride-On Toys?

The stage when young children begin requesting for their own set of wheels can indeed be stressful for a parent. It's not just the cost involve but the danger that goes with playing ride-on kids' toys.

As parents and guardians, the only thing we can do is to make sure to lessen the possibilities of accidents. There is only so much that we can control when it comes to children's behavior and safety.

We can help choose the right ride-on toy for them by making sure to:

1. Buy a ride-on toy according to the manufacturer's age and weight recommendations.

2. Carefully check for potential hazards on the bike, tricycle, or scooter like sharp edges or points and any small parts that can be potential choking hazards to young kids.

We should also promote proper gear when biking or scooting. Proper gear includes helmets, kneepads, and elbow pads. We should demonstrate how to properly wear a helmet - flat atop their heads and not tilted back at an angle but at least two finger widths above the eyebrows. We should also make sure that the helmet snugly fits the child's head, his line of vision is not obstructed, the chin strap fits well, and that the buckle stays fastened.

We should choose a helmet that was tested to be safe; they should come with labels stating that they met the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's mandatory safety standard. Bike helmets for children ages 1 to 5 will cover most of their heads to give them more protection.

When buying tricycles for kids, it is best to add a tall flag at the back portion so they will be clearly visible to motorists in case the child plays near cars or on streets.

We should also encourage the kids to wear shoes at all times when biking or scooting. We should also remind them to keep a lookout for bumpy roads or gaps between patio stones that could trap a tire or for sharp road obstacles like rocks that can puncture the tires of the ride-on toy.

Here are extra reminders for older children who go biking or scooting outside their homes:

1. Use your bikes or scooter during daytime only.

2. Always ride on sidewalks, paved-off roads, and smooth surfaces. Stay away from vehicles, sand, loose gravel, water, dirt, and even leaves that can cause you to lose control of the bike.

3. Do not ride your bike or scooter near a swimming pool, steps, hills, roadways, or inclines.

4. Check the traffic before crossing streets, obey traffic signs and signals, and give cars and pedestrians the right-of-way.

5. Check the brakes of the toy before using it.

6. Wear clothing in attractive colors so motorists can easily spot you on streets.

7. Ride on the right side of the street, and be very careful when turning left in areas where there are also motorists.

Kids do need adult supervision when they play with ride-on toys, but since we can't always be there to watch over them, the next best thing is to make sure they understand the danger involved in the activities and equip them with knowledge on how to take safety measures.

By Rachel Nunez

For more tips and information about outdoor toys, check out http://www.thekidstoystore.com/rideontoys.html.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Nunez

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The Timeless Appeal of Dinosaurs

Please pardon the pun in the title, but it's true, dinosaurs have a "timeless" appeal. As far back as the 19th Century, kids have been literally obsessing over the great beasts of the past. Kids have always loved dinosaurs, but it may be doubly true ever since Jurassic Park came out. And with more Jurassic Park movies on the way, it looks like Dinomania isn't going to be over any time soon.

The appeal, for most kids, usually comes down to one of a couple of things.

Many kids are just in awe when they think about the fact that the world is actually millions of years old, that great lizards ruled the planet for thousands of those years. Dinosaurs are the closest thing we've ever had to dragons, and it really is cool that they really, actually used to exist.

That's probably the most common reason for kids who love dinosaurs. But let's be honest, some kids just want to ride on the back of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, ordering their pet to stomp the school to the ground.

Whichever of these describes your kid, there are plenty of dinosaur themed toys available for all ages...

Mega Bloks Plasma Dinosaurs

Mega Bloks, the company known for their Legos like brick building sets, have also released a line of dinosaur toys which are actually customizable. These are perfect for slightly older kids, allowing kids to piece together arms and legs and armour and other accessories to their liking, creating all new prehistoric creations (yes, that's an oxymoron, but you get the idea).

Bestever Stuffed Dinosaurs

For babies and toddlers, Bestever has a line of stuffed animal dinosaurs available. These plush dolls are soft to the touch, with surprisingly intricate detail. For example, the Stegosaur actually has about a dozen separate scales on his back.

ImagiNext Dinosaurs

More action-oriented toys, ImagiNext combines dinosaurs with medieval fantasy elements. Many of the dinosaurs come with miniature human (or almost-human) warriors to ride on the back of the dinosaurs and do battle... Yeah, that's kind of ridiculous, but remember when we mentioned the kids who fantasize about having a pet dinosaur to stomp on the school? Where there ya go!

Teddy and Friends Dinosaurs

These ones are perfect for the youngest children. Completely soft and plush, these stuffed animals have a more cuddly, charming design (on the off chance that Bestever's are too scary for your baby), with big happy eyes, and are soft to the touch.

Lego Stegosaurus

For the most creative kids, you have the Lego Creator Stegosaurus. This is for kids willing to piece together the entire thing from scratch. What this toy provides is more customizability than the Mega Bloks dinos. Since the Stegosaur and the other Lego dinosaurs are built from regular Lego bricks, it's not hard for kids to piece them together however they like. You can only do so much with the Mega Bloks toys, but with Legos,

Basically, if you think back to your favourite toys as a kid, not many of them are still popular today. Howdy Doody? GI Joe? He-Man? Just try talking to kids about those guys today, they won't have a clue what you're talking about. Dinosaurs, on the other hand, the awe-inspiring kings of the past, are always going to have plenty of appeal for every new generation of kids.

By Chang Lim

Yogee.com.au is a leading Australian online toy store. Visit yogee.com.au for a wide selection of Kids Toys at discounted prices. To save money on your next purchase, please visit Toys.

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