Do you ever think and worry about ...

[Holdfast]

Children learn to eat by watching their parents at the table, being spoonfed, and then learn (hopefully manners) by sitting with us every night. They learn to walk when we take them by the hand. They learn to speak when we talk to them.

This is a tried and true method, and even as they age, I've yet to see it fail. What you describe, Holdfast, is your father teaching in a caring manner the same way he doubtless taught you to speak and walk.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my methods will continue to work, so far so good.

That's a great way to look at it; I'm sure you're right, and that it will work for your children too.

 

[Jetfire]

It blows me away! My parents have never given me anything, other than love and support. The day after I turned 16, my mom hauled me off to fill-out applications for my first job. And since then I have been responsible for my own clothes, food, etc. Hell I even moved out of their house when I was barely 18. I was still in high school and I left home! Who does that anymore? (I have this hysterically funny story about the principal of my high school wanting to call my mom but needed to know where she was. I had to explain to him I didn't live with her anymore and I didn't know where she was. You should have seen the look on his face.) I paid for college. I paid for my first car. I paid for my insurance. I may not be very secure financially (with an artistic career that ebbs flows like the sea) but I am dependent on no one. Actually I am proud to say that I have only needed to borrow money from my parents once and that was for a dental emergency seven years ago. (And the money was paid back in less than a month.)

It's funny how many people I know get a jump on life financially because of their parents...buy the first car & paying the insurance, paying for college and even paying for weddings and helping get settled in a new house.

I much like you have been on my own financially since 16.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Holdfast and everyone else, I appreciate your feedback. It's apparent to me that those who don't stop to worry about money are those who have an abundance of it. No, I'm not quite a minimum wage earner, and I'm living well within my income. Before the bankruptcy, my financial assessment revealed that I was spending at least 125% of what I earned; I was practically insolvent. My original point was that it would be nice to have a little more.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

My children are only 5 and 13 so I can't give any final conclusions or advice, it's all still a work in progress. But what I've noticed is that they learn by doing things with them.

You don't lock a child in room with a book and order them to learn to read. Of course this is absurd, but think about how often parents use this method to try to teach them so many other things.

Children learn to eat by watching their parents at the table, being spoonfed, and then learn (hopefully manners) by sitting with us every night. They learn to walk when we take them by the hand. They learn to speak when we talk to them.

This is a tried and true method, and even as they age, I've yet to see it fail. What you describe, Holdfast, is your father teaching in a caring manner the same way he doubtless taught you to speak and walk.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my methods will continue to work, so far so good.

'Tis true and well said. A child learns more by copying their parents than any other way. I am a huge believer in coming together everyday as a family (even if it is only two as it was for Son and I) for dinner. Now Son is late teens I still insist on sitting down to Sunday brunch ~ with no excuse!
I'm proud that Son has an excellent vocabulary, loves words and is good at using them. He also has great manners, dresses well, fabulous social skills and more friends that I've had in a lifetime.

I am a prolific reader, Son is not, so we have discovered he learns better from CDs, DVDs, online teaching. I would highly recommend it. Son taught himself Japanese with these methods. 5 and 13 ~ what wonderful ages. When they get to 17 that's where it all goes downhill

K'Eh.
(Grumpier than usual because her back is out and the pilates don't work so she has to go to Docs for really efficient drugs tomorrow)

 

[Gaseous Anomaly]

Money?

Well, I do occasionally. I have a good job that pays me a decent salary, but since I'm a single guy with no dependents, it sucks that I have to pay more taxes. It's not like I have an extravagant lifestyle, either. But eventually, there comes a point whenI start to get anxious when my bank account falls below a certain balance. Sometimes I can't help wondering what life would be like if I won the lottery.

Nope, why worry about what I don't have!