Teaching Your Children About Money

I had a nice visit with a younger mom yesterday and one of the things we discussed was how to teach your children, younger and older, to be responsible with their money.  Here's what we have done in our family...

Teaching Kids About Money

We gave small allowances when the children were very young, say ages 5-12.  Small means $5-$10 a month.   They were still required to help with household chores appropriate for their age for which they were not paid.  Everyone in the family needs to help around the house i.e. make your beds every day, laundry (including putting it away), start dinner occasionally, etc.  Once they hit age 12 (no real magical number here, just what I chose) they no longer got an allowance and we opted for them to get paid for harder outdoor chores such as yardwork, weeding, mowing the lawn.  This is what we have continued to do even now.

Along the way, as they started driving we had them pay a portion of their part of the car insurance... $50 each month.  This was not so much  of a stretch for them since they both had saved their $$ well and spent wisely, shopping for bargains like I do.  By age 16-17 each had a part-time job (my older started at age 15) and began saving for a car.  No, we do not buy cars for our children.  Our older one bought a used Honda for $4,400, the exact limit of pricing that we had prayed for once you add in tag and title.  Our younger is currently saving for his car now. In the meantime we share my car.

They both pay for special activities and if they want a designer shirt, I tell them we'll cover $___  and they can pay for the rest. They buy their own movie tickets and meals out (unless it's a family outing), Christmas gifts, outings with friends, etc.    We provide all food, gas (reasonable use) and clothing as long as they live at home.   I always told them when clothes shopping, "be reasonable and careful in your purchases".  They know that means that extravagance will come out of their own pockets.  

I also taught them how to sell on Ebay and Amazon so they could also make a little extra $$ from home as well.  Our older son moved out when he was a junior in college and now has graduated college debt-free with money in the bank and is now working full-time. Believe me, he knows how to handle his money.  We did NOT pay for his food, rent or gas while living away from home since he could live at home for free.  Moving out before being a junior was not an option either.  That way, he/they have time to save their $$ and work out their budgets well in advance of the big move.  He has told me numerous times that he is one of few of his friends who ever had any extra $$ for fun while in college.

I highly recommend  teaching your children good stewardship while they are at home, drawing from real life situations and helping them be responsible for paying for things that they want to do.  They are not so quick to spend $$ when they recognize how much things cost and equate it to what they earn [1 movie ticket = one mowed lawn]  I am thankful that both of our sons are responsible and careful with their money, yet still generous.  What parent could ask for more than this?

Finishing the Course : Homeschool Graduation

floridaskininstitute.com

Wow!  The month of May had  two graduations, a grad party, our 25th anniversary-- I finally have time to sit down and collect my thoughts.   Three weeks ago our older son (in black) graduated from college, majoring in Graphic Design.  He attended private school for 5 years (K-4); I homeschooled him from grades 5-12 (with 2 outside classes each year all through high school).    He has been able to live away from home for the last 3 years and has worked part-time in his field of expertise for most of that time.  Just this week  he accepted a full-time position as a digital designer for a magazine for which we are all thankful.

The photo above was used for Week 21 of Project 52--The theme Favorites. 

I thought it was an appropriate photo since these are my most favorite people in the world.  :)

Click HERE to see my other photos in this weekly project.

Last Friday our younger son (in blue) graduated from high school.  I home schooled him from Pre-K through 12th grade, also with 2 classes out each high school year.   He dual enrolled at a state college (f/k/a  community college) his senior year  as did his brother and will start there full time in the fall.  We were part of an "umbrella" school, hence the class below.  He has been working part-time since December and is saving his $$ by living at home for now.

Both sons did very well in their courses and received academic scholarships which cover much of the costs of college.  How grateful we are.

Is academic excellence the only reason we home schooled?  I should say not.  The benefits of having home schooled are numerous, but here are just a few:

1.  Their close relationships with my husband and me.  We can talk about anything and everything and love sharing stories and "what we're doing", our interests, problems, church...

2.  Their close relationships with each other. Being 5 years apart in age, if they had been in public or private school, they would have been in different schools for most of their growing up years. They would not have had nearly the time that they did together and would hardly know each other.  Since we only have two children, it was very important for me to see them grow up well together...looking ahead into the future when they will need each other more.

3.  Lots of time.   We usually finished schoolwork by 1:00 p.m.  Until middle school we were usually done by 11 a.m.!
--Time to do what they enjoy doing and develop skills in those areas of interest.  Both lean toward the graphic arts and there was ample time to photograph and experiment with editing, make movies, etc.
--Time to finish schoolwork and play / attend varsity sports without pressure. Our older son played basketball (JV and Varsity) for 3 years.  Lots of practices, drills, camps.
--Time to develop musical gifts (guitar) and play on our church worship team.
--Time to just be a kid-- to play, draw, do crafts, build things,  read, swim, visit friends, travel.
--Time to rest or just nap when needed rather than leave home at 7 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. with hours of homework in the evenings.
--Time to prepare for academic college tests for scholarships.  They both took a prep class prior to these important tests and worked on many practice tests beforehand. One received 100% scholarship; one 75% [technically not actually those percentages, but a large portion of the costs  was/will be covered.]
--Time to work individually on areas that were more difficult with Mom or work with a tutor if  needed.
--Time with the family eating meals together most nights.
--Time to read and study the Bible, spend quality time with youth group and mentors.
--Time for breaks.  We began the school year in early  August, finished in early May and still had time to take  breaks each month with longer ones for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter/Spring.

--Time for conversation and questions, working on wisdom and not just knowledge.

**NOTE:  HERE is a link to our pastor's excellent commencement address for a local high school graduation about wisdom.

4.  Emphasis on good books rather than trashy ones.  Yes, I read or had read almost all of the books they did so we could discuss them, especially the controversial ones.  We still recommend books to each other and talk about them.

Knowing what I do now, would I still homeschool them if it were possible? Absolutely.  It's a one-year-at-a-time decision which we chose for 13 years. There are sacrifices--financial and  timewise, but I believe it's one of the best  decisions for our family that we have ever made.  Looking back, I cherish the years and time spent with each of my children being their teacher, but more importantly, being their mom...a real investment in the future.


I have many other posts on EDUCATION and HOMESCHOOL.  Just click on the links or search those works in the window in the right sidebar.

Proverbs 22:6 

Train up a child in the way he should go, 

Even when he is old he will not depart from it. 

FREE Personality Assessment Discover Your Strengths and USE Them

I always love assessing strengths and weaknesses, personality and other traits.  Just for fun,  click HERE for  a free test for you to do the same.

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Confidential

The test is entirely confidential. Unless you choose to publish your results, email them, display them through the personalDNA facebook application, or link to them from your blog or website, no one will know your test results. We will never publish the results of tests taken on this site without your explicit permission.

Taking the test

The test should take about 30 minutes to complete. Don't spend too much time considering your answers, your first impressions are all that's necessary. Please be completely honest in your responses. This will allow us to give you your most accurate personality assessment. You must answer all questions to receive feedback.

The report

At the end of the test, you'll get a thorough personality assessment, along with a personality map and a personalDNA strip that you can add to your website or blog. The report and the images are individualized based on your responses.

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Hope you enjoy it.  I have my sons take it as well. The assessments seem pretty accurate to me.  You can also check out some of the books by the authors of the tests HERE.  They have published several.

To read a post that I did previously on this topic, click HERE.

Teaching Your Children About the Meaning of Easter

I hope you have begun focusing your children on the meaning of Easter this week.  Sometimes the Easter bunny gets priority on Easter Sunday or at the grandparents' home(s).  In our home, our kids loved egg hunts and we would do them on Palm Sunday, as well as several times during Easter week.   They just loved finding the colored eggs around the yard, in the house, at Grandmom's, etc.  :)

As I have mentioned before, we made our own Resurrection Eggs rather than purchase them.  Although money was tight then, our  older son who was three years old at the time, loved the activity of MAKING THEM ourselves.   When our younger son was three, we re-decorated them so he could also have a part in our family tradition.    We haven't actually opened and read them for many years now (we did from about age 3-10 or so), but I saved them and display them each year.  Our older son (age 22) was home a couple of weeks ago and saw them on our entryway table and smiled, remembering when we had worked together on them.  That made ME smile, too.  :)

Here is a revisit of previous blog posts about decorating your own Resurrection eggs and what is inside of them.  Check them out for the contents of the eggs as well as scriptures that you might want to read each day this week to your children.   Above all, teaching children while they are young the true meaning of Easter will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Here is how I have always displayed them in our living room.

This year, I tried something new and put them in our entrance hallway.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

1/2 Price Tuition Private Christian Schools in Orlando Area March 12-31, 2012

I listen to WTLN regularly each morning until about noon while I'm going about my day [that's how I won the tickets to the Michael Card concert last weekend].   I heard this incredible offer yesterday on the station-- 1/2 Price Tuition at several private schools for one year for new students. This offer is valid March 12-31, 2012. Private schools in our area are VERY expensive, even for the younger grades, so  if you are considering sending a student to private Christian school, be sure to take check out this amazing offer. 

Schools participating:

• Markham Woods Christian Academy
• Cornerstone Theological Seminary
• Reformation Bible College
• The Geneva School (our older son attended here for 5 years)

And others...

You must be a new student and pass all the required applicable admission requirements for the schools.  

*Application, registration and other fees (housing, books and other materials) not included.

Go to THIS LINK for more information. There are a LIMITED number of 1/2 Price Tuition deals available.

Used Curriculum Books For Sale / Happy Housewife Connection

Today I am linking up with The Happy Housewife in listing used homeschool books and curriculum that I have in my Ebay store under the category EDUCATION / HOMESCHOOL.   Here is what is available.  If you would like to purchase, go to THIS LINK.

• Pilgrim's Progress Study Manual with Original Text
• Pilgrim's Progress in Pictures
• TruthQuest History / Ancient Egypt & Greece
• TruthQuest History / Ancient Rome
• Vintage Gregg Shorthand simplified for colleges
• God's Gift of Language B / A Beka
• Engineering Drawing & Graphic Technology, 12th Edition
• Adventurous Girl's Handbook
• Italic Letters  Calligraphy Handwriting
• Student Works Glencoe Florida Edition Mathematics CD
• A Time for Anger, Franky Schaeffer
• A+ Education, Choosing the Best School Option
• Digital Video Tutor College Algebra 2nd ed.
• Everything You Need to Know about English Homework
• Lakeshore Counting Match-ups 2 Pc Puzzles
• Scholastic  Children's Thesaurus & Dictionary

Also, in my Amazon store, I have:

• Analytical Concordance of the Greek New Testament
• College English and Commmunication 8th edition, with student workbook
• The Homeschooling Family, audio cassette
• Math Connects, Chapter 0 Start Smart, Teacher's Edition
• Math Connects, Chapter 5, Add & Subtract, Teacher's Edition

My younger son is in his senior year of high school and is also dual enrolling at a community college.  My older son is about to graduate college.   We have used many of these items over the years and they are in very good condition, most are like new.

Thank you for shopping with me!

First Ever Nationwide HOMESCHOOL DAY Movie Club

Homeschool Movie Club is spreading the word about  its first ever nationwide HomeschoolDay.  I have just become acquainted with this site which was new to me, but I had  heard of the movie previously from our science teacher who created the curriculum for it.   Sherri has also authored a Marine Biology textbook for Apologia.

For this club, homeschoolers are encouraged  to form groups to attend a movie together on this particular day.  Be sure to register with the Homeschool Movie Club at THIS LINK.  Periodically other movies will be selected for groups to attend together.  By joining you have the opportunity to download the curriculum for each movie, receive freebies and other resources and maybe even attend a free early screening of the movie.

Movie:  Dolphin Tale

Date:     Friday, September 23, 2011

More information on this event can be found HERE

K92FM Free TEACHER Supply Drive Saturday August 20, 2011

And my LAST post for the day...  I  heard about this when I was at the Staples Teacher Appreciation Day last weekend...


Lakeshore Learning
on 436 in Fern Park, FL 
(in the Sam's Club shopping center)

With deep budget cuts, teachers are spending an average of $448 of their own money on instructional 

materials and school supplies.

We want to help stock up their "back up" supply closet, so they have all the supplies they need for the school year, without having to worry about reaching into their own pocket.

Please join the K Morning Crew out at the Lakeshore Learning store in Fern Park, Saturday August 20th from 10am-1pm...as we broadcast LIVE and collect school supplies and donations for our local teachers.

Are you a teacher? 

Come out and stock up on some school supplies to get you through the school year! All you need to bring is your teacher ID or a recent pay stub from your current school.

Go to THIS LINK for more details.


NOTE:  Again, I do NOT know if this applies for homeschool moms but it never hurts to call and find out.  Especially if you have an umbrella school ID. Be sure to CALL AHEAD.

FREE Annual Pass to LEGOLAND FLORIDA for Certified Florida Teachers

It does not appear that this amazing offer applies to homeschool mom teachers and I have not yet had a chance to call to find out.  If you do, please let me know so I can update this post.  It is a great deal, however, for certified teachers.

UPDATE August 21, 2011:   Go to THIS LINK for more details on this offer as well as other discounted tickets for Legoland Florida.

Florida Teachers, Explore LEGOLAND^® Florida With Your Free Standard Annual Pass

LEGOLAND^® Florida is offering all Florida teachers one year of free admission with a Standard Annual Pass*.

To receive your free Standard Adult Annual Pass: please go to THIS LINK and  print the page and bring it, with your most recent paystub, Florida photo ID and teaching certificate to the Ticketing windows at the entrance to LEGOLAND® Florida.

Discount Code: 11080605

To receive this offer you must print and bring the printed page noted above with you to LEGOLAND^® Florida. 

You can get your Annual Pass before the Grand Opening of LEGOLAND® Florida by attending Advance Pass Distribution, September 16, 17, 23 & 24 from 10am to 5pm as well as September 18 & 15 from Noon to 5 pm.

*This offer is valid for currently certified teachers in the state of Florida only, and may not be transferred to any other person. LEGOLAND^® Florida reserves the right to refuse entry or use of this promotion to any individual upon its presentation. Guest must present discount page, proof of certification, paystub and Florida ID to receive this offer. If all forms of eligibility are not presented, LEGOLAND^® Florida has the right to withhold this offer. This offer may not be redeemed online and has no cash value. This pass has no value toward the purchase of an upgraded Annual Pass.

Homeschool Curriculum and Classes 12th Grade 2011

Well, the planning is over and school has begun.  I thought you might like to see what we are doing for 12th grade this year.   Although college classes begin August 22 and most public schools began classes this week, we actually started on Friday, July 29.  

I like to plan our school calendar with 1-2 days off each month, one week off in October, November, and March and about three weeks off in December.  Seniors at our umbrella school have to be finished with everything by May 9, so in order to accomplish that, we have to begin a little early.  It is SO worth it.    I can't believe this is our final year of homeschooling OR that my "baby" will graduate from high school and begin college next year!.

Courses for this year and some of the books we are using:

• Composition  1 [Dual Enrollment at community college]

• Composition  2  [Dual Enrollment at community college]

• College Algebra [Dual Enrollment at community college]

• Anatomy & Physiology
• The Human Body,  Apologia

• Psychology (1 semester)
• Biblical Counseling Foundation manual

• Personal, Family and Social Relationships / Bible  (1 semester)
• Biblical Counseling Foundation manual

• American History
• United States History, A Beka

Three classes are taught by others; a couple are primarily reading and some are independent study work.  By 10th grade in high school I hopefully have taught my children to be able to work well independently for the most part in preparation for dual enrollment in their senior year and in college.  I review the lesson plans, answers to my questions/comments and devotional notes at the end of the week (some things daily) to make sure that everything that needs to be done has been completed. 

I also require that they read one book per month.   I haven't completed my book list yet but here are a few titles for this year:

• Our Country's Founders
• John Adams
• Boy Meets Girl
• Moby Dick
• Uncle Tom's Cabin
• A Child's Garden of Verse

Some of these I have on our bookshelves already from our older son's reading, some I ordered for free through Paperback Swap [see link on the RH sidebar].

Three SAT and ACT testings have been completed and so far, my younger son qualifies for a 75% Bright Futures scholarship.  We continue on the search for other essay-based scholarships to help pay for college expenses when he begins in 2012.

If you have a student in the 11th grade, you may find my list from that time helpful at THIS LINK.

If you are just beginning the homeschool journey, relax and have fun.  Take it one day at a time and just love your children as you learn together.  :)

Homeschool Field Trips From Your Home : Art Museums Around the World

I have really got to sit down this summer and learn about all the new things Google is doing and has available.  I keep hearing about Google docs, Google earth, Google photos... they have it all covered.  You can check out the  many options available to you at THIS LINK.  I think the only one I have used is Google maps which shows our home almost TOO close for comfort. :)

Anyway, last weekend my husband and I had breakfast with a dear friend who told us about the Google Art Project.  Thanks, Dave.    This is a wonderful site to virtually visit art museums around the world.  It is especially nice because in many of them (some I have been to myself), photos are not allowed.  So sit back, grab a cup of coffee (also not generally  allowed in museums) and enjoy.  Go to THIS LINK to start your visit and have fun.

Some of the museums you can "tour" are:

• State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
• Feer Gallery of Art, Washington, C
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
• State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
• Museum Kampa, Prague

The list goes on...

This is an excellent resource for homeschoolers as well as the public or private school classroom.

Homeschool Education: Is It For You?

IMAGE:  http://www.randolph.k12.nc.us/Departments/Driver%20Education/Pages/HomeSchoolStudents.aspx

I homeschooled our older son from grade 5-12; our younger son from pre-K through 11th grade (one more year to go).  Beginning in high school, they each have taken two courses each year from outside teachers with quite a bit of independent work during the high school years.    The most time consuming parts of homeschooling for moms is the younger years, grades K-8 and even then, it's not all day every day.  A bit of organization, a lot of prayer and a love for your children are the main requirements.    

I have several blog posts about homeschooling and education in general.  Check them out if you are interested.

Homeschooling is not for everyone but the plusses outweigh the minuses in my book.   I highly recommend it for all families to at least give it a try, especially when the children are younger.  Do the research and ask questions of other moms who have walked this road.    You won't regret it.  :)

Virginia is a  good friend of mine and a prolific blogger, author and teacher.  For those who homeschool, or those considering it, check our her free e-book, The Real Life Homeschool Mom, now offered online at THIS LINK.

To view a list of her other blogs and read a little more about her, go HERE.

Orlando Science Center $5 Today Saturday, October 16, 2010

I wish I'd read my stack of newspapers earlier this week.  Just saw this article.   This is a fun family activity.  

$5 admission to the Science Center today,  Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010.  Admission is only $5 for everyone (regular admission is usually $17 for adults, $12 for kids - ages 3-11). 

SPONSORS: OUC - The Reliable One, Walmart Foundation, Kohler, Ferguson, the Florida Renewable Energy Association, Azur Solar, City of Orlando, IKEA, Nova Charge, Orange County/CFEEA, Segway, Superior Solar and Sybac Solar.

Check out the Orlando Science Center. Admission this Saturday, Oct. 16, will be $5  from 10 am-5 pm.  The Science Center is located at 777 E. Princeton St. in Orlando. Call them at 407-514-2000 for details.

MORE INFO:  http://www.osc.org/

Holy Land Experience Orlando FREE on Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Just heard on the news (and from a friend) that the Holy Land Experience in Orlando is waiving its $35 admission FREE this week on  Tuesday, October 5.    If you've never been, it's a great educational outing for the family.  I have visited three times myself and thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite parts are the Tabernacle and the Scriptorium.

Make your plans and check it out.  Be sure to arrive early as the park's capacity is only  1,700.  Last year vouchers were given for another day for those that were unable to get into the park.

Free Online College Courses / Education / Homeschool

Since my husband and I are both 50+ (I won't say how much +)  :)   we belong to AARP. AARP is short for American Association of Retired Persons.  We do not agree with all of their politics but for $16.00 per year, their discounts, magazines and newsletters are a real bargain with truly a wealth of information in each.   Some people don't want to tell their age when they turn 50; I say, just take the discounts and benefits and run.

I was skimming through the AARP newspaper, AARP Bulletin, which is mailed to us every 2 months and found an article titled "99 Great Ways to Save".  Always looking for discounts and bargains, I started checking out some of the suggested sites online.  

One of the sites that I hit upon is at THIS LINK.  It is #14 on the list--Free online college courses.  Yale, MIT and Stanford are among dozens of  universities offering no-cost knowledge.    Here is a copy of some of what is on the page which could be very useful in these economic times for furthering your own personal learning or that of a student in your home. Check it out.  I will be bookmarking this for myself to revisit.

4.15.14 Note:  Due to AARP's political leanings, we no longer belong to this organization, however the links below are still excellent.

• Business OpenCourseWare
  
  
  • Free Accounting Courses
  • Free Business Courses
  • Free Entrepreneurship Courses
  • Free Finance Courses
  • Free Marketing Courses
• Technology OpenCoursWare
  
  
  • Free Computer Courses
  • Free Computer Networking Courses
  • Free Engineering Courses
  • Free Electrical Engineering Courses
  • Free Game Design Courses
  • Free Graphic Design Courses
  • Free Linux Courses
  • Free Programming Courses
  • Free Technology Courses
  • Free Unix Courses
  • Free Web Design Courses
  • Free Software Tutorials
  • Free Apple Computer Tutorials
• Science OpenCourseWare
  
  
  • Free Astronomy Courses
  • Free Biology Courses
  • Free Environmental Management Courses
  • Free General Science Courses
  • Free Health Science Courses
  • Free Math Courses
  • Free Natural Science Courses
• Liberal Arts OpenCourseWare
  
  
  • Free Adult Literacy Courses
  • Free Foreign Language Courses
  • Free Greek Philosophy Courses
  • Free History Courses
  • Free Liberal Studies Courses
  • Free Literature Courses
  • Free Music Courses
  • Free Teacher Education Courses
  • Free Writing Courses
  • Free Unabridged Books Online