Family Living
Focus
by
Pat Leach
Indiana County
Extension Agent
• one of twelve original
recordingsof John Deere // f n\s
tractors plays at the top I 1
of each Hour ■ \r Jg'ji’
• Features 12 of the most \\\ J I &-Jj V
notable John Deere tractors ' '
past and present
Only $18.95. PA Residents Add 6% Sales Tax. + $5.95 Shipping. We Ship UPS.
Country Housewares Store
589 Mutter School Road, Leola, PA 17540 717-556-0985
South of Rt 23 off South GrofFdale Rd. (Groffdae Ave ), Ist road on left past
Hayloft Candle Bam - Between Lcola & New Holland
shop-vac
TfeCc
Sirs'] ijM}
'nit „
► Carpet/Bare Floors
► Kitchen
shop<vac
the Original wet/dry vac
Come and see the complete line of the #l-selling brand of wet/dry vacs, filters and accessories.
www.shopvac.com
Shop-Vac* is a registered trademark
of Shop-Vac Corporation.
Kids And Money
A Parents’ Curse
Or Blessing?
Parents, do you wonder
where your children leam to
handle money?
Go to the nearest mirror
and take a good look.
Our children leam money
management skills over a pe-
(Qm@K
• Ught sensor to deactivate
sounds when room (s dark
. Measures 1S s"x 1J S"x 2'
• Requires three ~AA‘ batteries
(not Included)
([te :.';!(• r-ii;-lir. [; i.
Owfalbol^^^J
/
► Hard-to-Reach Spots
► Efficient Filtration
for Easy Clean Up
Iff It Doesn't Say Shop*Vac,
Keep Shopping!®
riod of years by watching
how others, especially we
parents, spend and save.
They also learn by having
first-hand experience with
money.
Whatever the age of your
children, it’s not too early or
too late to teach and encour
age them to spend and save
wisely and to be disciplined
about money.
Parents’ attitudes about
money stem from their fami
lies. What did money mean
to you as you were growing
up? Was money a tool to sup
port the family or the driving
force of its existence? Was it
used to hurt or to show love
without using the words, “1
love you”?
As a parent, you can de
cide if the values you learned
in your family were healthy
values or not. If they were
not, you are in the driver’s
seat to make the necessary
changes in your family so
there is a more healthy atti
tude about money from this
day on.
First of ail, at what age do
you think children are aware
of money or begin to grasp its
concept? Age six or seven?
No, the real answer at age
three!
- y ' CLOSED SUNDAYS, NEW YEAR,
J EASTER MONDAY, ASCENSION DAY,
WHIT MONDAY, OCT. 11, THANKSGIVING,
Ftaairm Christmas & December zbth
FISHER FURNITURE
NEW AND USED FURNITURE
Antique S Collectables
BUS. HRS. BOX 57
MON.-THURS. 8-5 1129 GEORGETOWN RD.
FRI., 8-8, SAT. 8-12 BART, PA 17503
www.lowes.com
©2003 Lowe's® Home Centers, Inc Lowe's* and the gable design are registered trademarks of LF, LLC
For the Lowe's nearest you call 1-800-44-LOWES Prices may vary if there are market variations
Scary, isn’t it, that a three
year-old begins to learn about
money!
Think about how television
sells to children. How much
television does your three
year old watch? Also, think
how many times the topic of
money creeps into family
conversations even when the
conversation didn’t start out
that way.
The one thing we, as par
ents, need to realize is that
whatever our own income
be it meager or not so mea
ger— we have a major teach
ing role to play in teaching
our children healthy attitudes
about money. Even more crit
ical is that we have a major
role to prepare our children
to be good money managers
for the sake of their own fu
ture.
So, where do you begin
with these young, impression
able “little consumers”?
One way to begin is to
think about giving an allow
ance. Give your child a regu
lar allowance in denomina
tions that make it easy to
save. A $5 allowance, in $1
bills, makes it easy to put $1
in savings. Give a weekly
sum at ages five or six. As
your child gets older, increase
the sum to include school ex
penses, entertainment,
clothes, and so
forth. A rule of
thumb for a
weekly allowance
is up to $1 for
each year of age.
Earnings need to
be large enough
so children stay
interested but not
too large that it is
over indulgent.
Remember that a
set sum always
should go into a
savings.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 18, 2003-B5
Improving Home Improvement*
Experts disagree on wheth
er or not parents should with
hold an allowance as a pun
ishment or tie it to the chores
a child performed. Some feel
allowances, like a salary,
should be paid consistently so
a child learns to budget. Oth
ers insist a child perform
chores as a member of the
family, not because he or she
will be paid. And when there
is a need to discipline, take
away other privileges, not the
allowance.
The other viewpoint no
work, no pay— of tying al
lowances to completed tasks
has a number of supporters.
Payment hinges on comple
tion of the work. In addition,
children are expected to do
other duties as members of
the family. A simple “thank
you” is the reward.
Still others give a weekly
sum to young children and a
monthly cash outlay to teens.
The important point is to en
force that when the money is
gone, it is gone. Parents do
not bail out the spender.
So, you see there are many
avenues and approaches to
beginning to teach your chil
dren about money. One thing
for sure is that you, as the
parent along with your child,
need to discuss the arrange
ment that will work best.
There’s no right or wrong
way to teach children about
money, as long as the method
is consistent, clear and work
able.
If one method doesn’t
work, try another approach.
Allow children to learn by
mistakes and by successes.
Encourage and praise rather
than criticize.
Don’t forget to contact
your local Cooperative Ex
tension Office for some addi
tional help or literature on
money and kids.