What if We Fail?!?!
Don't start using our system thinking, "What if I fail?" Seriously, friends...this isn't something that requires perfection! First of all, there are some days that mandate us to throw up our hands and realize we can only do so much. So be realistic as you begin to implement the program with your children. When you have a more-hectic-than-usual day, just let the kids know that today is a break from fisherkids. The key is to make that the exception, not the norm.
Secondly, there is no ONE way to make our program work for your family. I know the Type-A personalities out there are shaking in their organized boots, but really, make this work for you not against you. Let your kids know when you start that you will be tweaking it along the way to find out what works best for all of you. What sounds great on paper doesn't always work well in our crazy lives. It will take a couple of weeks to tweak the system until it becomes routine, but once you figure out the best routine for your family, it's quite a thrill to see life organized again!
Finally, keep in mind that our goals are not to turn our kids into child laborers and be perfect little angels. Our goals are to teach them how to live independently, learn accountability, and manage their money wisely. So LOT OF HUGS, LOTS OF KISSES, AND LOTS OF PATS ON THE BACK FOR HELPING OUT THE FAMILY TEAM. It feels so great to see the smile on his face when you tell him how blessed you are to have him as your very own, and doubly rewarding when you watch him buy his own pack of gum or bottle of water at the Target checkout aisle. :) Keep calm and carry on.
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Frequently Asked Question of the Month!
We hear this question most often....
"We don't believe in paying for chores around the house that are just part of being in a family."
Lo, and behold! We don't believe in it, either! The whole mission of our company is founded upon the assumption that the family succeeds as a team, and we must instill in our children that there are some things we take care of around the house just to help out and keep the team winning. But in order to teach our children wise financial management, we have to also include paid-for chores.
Our system is set up to include both. Our responsibility magnet has several bullet points for you to fill in (see below).
These bullet points are for all their responsibilities for the day...the responsibilities that you expect of them and that in return they are provided food, clothing, shelter, and love! ONE of these bullet points is to pull chore sticks (the number is up to you; there is a list of age-appropriate number of chores in the appendix of the Parent's Guide). So below is an example of expected responsibilities and paid-for chores:
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Greetings!
Happy Summer! I can't believe it's already the middle of July, although living in Texas, my sweat glands can sure believe it.....yikes!
Our quote for the month is to "Keep calm and carry on." My mom and Nana are from England, and I loved the story behind this quote....WWII British propaganda slogan, never used, just printed on very simple red substrate and stored, yadda yadda yadda. I put this slogan HUGE on the wall above our front door, and while doing so, found out the slogan is actually trendy right now and who wants to be trendy? Oh, well, I still love it, still live by it, and when I chant it to myself as our kids are going nuts and the noise level in the house is breaking glass, I chant it in a British accent. :)
This month, we have a couple of new products, a new video blog, some tips and advice, private in-home trainings, and a giveaway! Read on, friends, and as always, thank you so much for your support. Enjoy the time with your family. It is simply precious.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Beck
fisherkids
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PRIVATE TRAINING
In-home, In-school, In-church, In-wherever
We have stumbled upon something that seems to be working so well for our products! We were invited to host a speaking engagement at The Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas a few months ago. I thank those who attended for sitting through my first full presentation....it had a few rough spots! But since then, we have been invited into several homes across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex to host in-home private trainings and it works SO WELL! Here's what we love about it: in-depth explanation of WHY we should be using some sort of responsibility system with our children; in-person viewing of our products from the main system to the accessories; real-life question and answer session so you can "soundboard" your family's areas of need; excellent way for spouses to be involved as well.
If this is something that interests you, please contact us at jennifer@fisher-kids.com or 817.343.1929 to set up a private training appointment. Excellent for schools, churches, or just a fun group of friends with the common goal of raising responsible children!
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GIVEAWAY!
Follow our Blogs
 We've had some blogs going for a while, and I must admit to biting off more than I can chew (and I am one hungry girl....). So I have integrated the blogs into our website so that they are more easily updated and read by all. So the giveaway this month focuses on the blogs. You will get one entry every time you become a follower of one of our blogs! So if you follow each one, that's 4 entries!
You can access our blogs one of two ways:
-go to www.myfisher-family.com. The four blogs are under the respective tabs: The Grand Life, Running from the Joneses, Kids Gone Green, and Fun with the Fam.
-go to the blog websites themselves: The Grand Life, Running from the Joneses, Kids Gone Green, and Fun with the Fam.
We are giving away a family movie night package (you can check it out at our store: http://shop.fisher-kids.com/) for four. If you already have one, you can give it as a great Christmas gift!
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NEW VIDEO GUIDE
Video Blog
 Check out our introductory video guide to help get you started with the
program. We will ultimately have a video blog with hints, tips, product
demonstrations, and on and on. Check it out! Thanks to Two Trees
Productions (www.twotreesproductions.com) for the video. Okay, so those
of you that know me know that's a shameless plug for my husband's
company, but whatever works!To check out the video, go to www.fisher-kids.com/ and scroll down a bit! |
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: This is one of our favorite products! This transaction record book
teaches your child how to manage a checkbook without the liability of an
actual checking account just yet. It is divided into "giving",
"saving", and "spending" and allows your child to keep track of the
exact amount of money in each money bag of their responsibility
station. They can document what they buy, to which charity they give,
and how much they deposit in their savings account. EXCELLENT tool for
real-world application of mathematics! Oh....and it's personalized!
Just choose the font, font color, and add-on! Order now at www.shop.fisher-kids.com!
Our Price: $10.00 plus s&h
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NEW PRODUCT!
 "Family Team" Luggage Tags
Our ultimate mission is to promote family unity which will inevitably produce responsible children and adults. We believe that the family is a team, albeit a team captained by the parents! So travel in style and show your team spirit! Our bag tags are not a laminated luggage tag, but rather encased in a rigid molded plastic luggage tag. Choose the front design you like for your family (custom orders welcome with a $10.00 charge per order) and the back is standard for you to fill in your personal information. At checkout, just put in the special notes section what team surname you would like. Order now at www.shop.fisher-kids.com!
Our Price: $7.00 plus s&h
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