Fun with MoneyWritten by Arleen M. Kaptur
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Letting a child have some money and then spend it on whatever they choose is a great way to teach a bit of finances. They will soon realize that if they buy something, they will have less to spend somewhere else on something else. Children are great imitators - whether we act way we want them to see us or not. If you show very little concern for money - so will child. If you let child in on family discussions about sacrifices that will have to be made in order to buy a new car, etc. that child may not understand full ramifications of family project, but will begin to see a pattern forming. You must do something in order to get something. "Let's not go to dinner tonight - instead we'll stay home and watch movies so that we can go to carnival tomorrow." Give up something in order to get something - simple, and yet this simple message will leave an imprint that will equate thought before spending, and wanting to know more about wonderful world of money. Money is here to stay and will be an integral part of a child's future. They are never too young to being forming a good impression of money and how to use it properly to enhance their life or bring pleasure to others through gifts and through charity. Whatever you do with money, while you are with a child, take a moment to explain a bit - just a few short sentences to let child know what you are doing and why. The magical world of money will nto be something to fear or to use without responsibility - a few moments for a life-long lesson of value. Seems fair-so ENJOY!
Arleen M. Kaptur - author of books and articles on living a simple/rustic lifestyle. http://www.arleenssite.com for a free newsletter
| | Long Distance Caregiving for a Loved One is Particularly Written by Linda LaPointe
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+Make sure legal and financial affairs are in place. Keep copies of important papers and telephone numbers of contacts. +Plan ahead to have back up providers to care for your own family in case you need to make an unexpected visit to your relative. It is also a good idea to bank some vacation or sick days from work for these visits as well. +Seek assistance of a Professional Care Manager specializing in assessing and monitoring needs of elderly. +Consider all options before moving your relative, but begin talking with them about this possibility. You could be surprised to learn they are willing to move closer to you, but they never mentioned this for fear of burdening you with their problems. +Retain a copy of Yellow Pages that serves your parent's community. The next time your parent calls and you need to locate resources, you won't need to search out numbers or call information long-distance. When you live hundreds of miles away from an aging loved one, there is a constant level of anxiety over his or her welfare. Every family must make their own decisions about how to handle situation. Dr. Mary Pipher, in her book Another Country, Navigating Emotional Terrain of our Elders makes a convincing argument for having aging parent(s) move near adult child who will, or currently handles their financial or care decisions. It is an option that should be given much consideration. Be sure to have a contact person who lives close to parent periodically checking on their health and cognitive status. Better yet, also have someone who can act upon your and her or his behalf until you can.
Linda LaPointe, MRA, has been a nursing home administrator and is now an ElderLife Matters consultant and national educator. Find free informational articles, exercises, links, audio interviews and products to help families experiencing elder issues at her website http://www.SOSpueblo.
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