Greetings!
Welcome to the December edition of the Kidnexions Connection. Our goal is to provide you with useful information about kids and money with an emphasis on making connections between what kids learn and their every day lives.
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| Teaching Kids Money |
Here's a recent Raised for Richness Facebook tip:  Have your tween/teen do research on a charity/organization they'd like to donate to. They can present their findings during Thanksgiving dinner. To show your support, match their donation. |
| Teachable Money Moment |
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The best way to teach kids financial literacy is in the context of their everyday lives. Here's this month's teachable money moment:
As your tweens and teens make their Christmas lists, ask them to prioritize each item on the list. This lets them know that there's a limited supply of money and that there's a chance they may not get everything they want. And if you like, you can share your budget with them (you do have a budget, don't you?). This is a great way to help them with the prioritization.
Then, when they hand you their list, ask them the reasons for each item. Having them verbally share their reasons gets them to reflect on their choices and why they're making these choices. This is a great consumer skill to begin developing in our kids. |
| December Connection: The Gift of Giving |
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All parents want their kids to learn how to give back to others. By being good role models and looking for opportunities to sneak in lessons, we can begin to develop the art of giving in our kids.
Hiding a token treat under the pillow of a sibling who has had a tough day is a great way to show you care and fun for the other siblings who love to watch the discovery. Or maybe a friend has worked hard doing something for someone else. Dropping something off on her doorstep, ringing the doorbell and then running...well kids love this. It's sneaky and fun! And what your kids will start to learn is that our desire to give joy to others actually brings joy into our lives, as well.
The Money Connection: The holiday season is the perfect time to teach kids that giving doesn't necessarily mean spending money. Tap into their creative side and have them come up with some unique and thoughtful ideas for giving personal gift certificates. Maybe it's a car wash for dad or a family meal cooked for mom. It could even be giving a friend free guitar lessons. It's a great way to get kids to think about their skills and strengths and how those can bring joy to others.
And a great gift idea for teachers that doesn't require spending money is to have your kids write a letter describing something they've learned or done in class and how it has made a difference in their lives. Young kids can dictate their letters to you.
When kids are actively involved in gift giving, they discover that giving can be just as much fun as receiving.
Happy Holidays! |
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Kidnexions Blog Vignettes |
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Why read the vignettes? Because the vignettes offer examples of doing money in real life settings. And it's when you can "see" money in action that teaching it takes on a whole new meaning.
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Wishing you continued success as you teach your children to be saving savvy and money smart. John and Karyn HodgensKidnexions co-founders It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself. - Raph Waldo Emerson
Karyn Hodgens has a BA in Child Development, a Masters of Arts in Education with a Specialization in Elementary Mathematics, and a multiple subjects teaching credential. Her passion is designing real-world lessons that resonate with kids and their interests. Karyn is currently teaching kids how to prepare for their financial future in addition to writing about kids and money issues. Contact Karyn at karyn@kidnexions.com John Hodgens has a BS in Electrical Engineering. He is currently a software engineer committed to designing software applications that help make teaching science and math concepts easier. Contact John at john@kidnexions.com LinkedIn: Join our group Conversations about Kids and Money.
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