What are you trying to teach your children

**JerryG** · 04-02-2007, 02:07 PM

or have already taught them that you wish someone would have taught you at an earlier age?

**jkelstaten** · 04-02-2007, 03:05 PM

We're teaching our daughters that they are perfect the way that God created them and to be confident and never embarassed to show their beautiful personalities. I was so shy and easily embarassed as a child and it took until I became a mother myself to become confident in who God had made me to be.

**Edna_E** · 04-02-2007, 04:30 PM

Balance. He's 19, technically a junior at a good college, has a great GPA, and is a kind and good person. That is all wonderful, HOWEVER, he does not take the time to take care of his bills and finances, nor his health, nor his social life. So I'm trying to convince him that balance is more important than finishing fast with a good GPA - I may be the only mother on earth telling my kid to STOP studying so much.

**sunshine** · 04-02-2007, 04:55 PM

The concept of compound interest -- either as interest you have to repay, or as interest that you get from savings/dividends, etc.

**danni** · 04-02-2007, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by sunshine

The concept of compound interest -- either as interest you have to repay, or as interest that you get from savings/dividends, etc.

Us too!!! I hope the kids can learn from our financial mistakes.

**miss_thrifty** · 04-03-2007, 08:59 AM

well in my own family we were not family oriented as much as i would of liked to be, in my life they werent.
So Im teaching my kids that we are, and that I'm always there to listen to them, no matter what the outcome, and even without money we show them their loved or tell them every day.
Im tyring to make sure my kids know they have self worth and their a valueable part of this family and to give back to the community.

**FrugalMomof3** · 04-03-2007, 09:30 AM

Responsibilty, that everything doesnt come handed to them on a silver platter. For them to be all they can be, stand up for what they believe in and to be independant.

Had my mother or father taught me about being responsible at a young age I would have been in a better position than I am now.

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 04-03-2007, 10:28 AM

I'm trying to pass on many of the values my mom and dad passed on to me especially to be a good, kind responsible human being. Also to enjoy life, learning and travel. My grandmother 90 still travels, leads a book club at her assisted living facility and runs the card club. Age is not a factor in the quaility of your life its all how you approch it.

Laurie in Bradenton Approching life with a smile and glad heart!

**pkellyc** · 04-03-2007, 10:33 AM

A lot of things.
Money, I learned the hard way.
How to love God.
How to forgive not only other people but themselves.
How to give their money and their time.
How to be happy just for no reason at all.
How to be kind to others and in general a good all around person.

**nuisance26** · 04-03-2007, 10:51 AM

~The most important things to teach my children are;
1.Love God with all their hearts, souls and minds and love their neighbors as themselves.
2.To love to learn/be curious
3.To have a non-complaining, can-do additude; pro-active
4.To be unafraid of failure, accept their and others mistakes and move on
5.Responsibility. The Bible says that someone who is faithful in small things will be faithful in large things. My parents really prepared me for the large things as an adult by giving me various small responsibilities as a child.

There. Those are most important to me.Thanks for starting this thread. It's been a while since I put my "plan" in writing.~

**Lady_V** · 04-03-2007, 11:18 AM

Money doesn't make you who you are.

I have earned it, had it, lost it... but I was still the same person no matter if I had a moth or a million in my wallet.

DD's father & his family are very wealthy (make you cry type of wealthy) and they think that money is the standard in which people are measured.

True worth is what is inside your skin... not your bank.

**Sahmamma** · 04-03-2007, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by FrugalMomof3

Responsibilty, that everything doesnt come handed to them on a silver platter. For them to be all they can be, stand up for what they believe in and to be independant.

Had my mother or father taught me about being responsible at a young age I would have been in a better position than I am now.

here too!!

responsibility.....you have to work for what you want in life! they are little now, but this will be expanded upon to teach them how to survive in life

**McD** · 04-03-2007, 12:16 PM

My son is still very young but I am teaching him the concept of no. Meaning there are things he can't have and there are things I won't let him play with. He cries and I console him but I don't give in. I'm used to stamping my foot and getting my way so I am going to do my darndest to make sure he isn't like that.

**MamaBear209** · 04-03-2007, 12:35 PM

we try to instill in our children the tried and tested formulas that have worked for us, their parents. First is love for God and personal accountability. We are all responsible for our actions/decisions and we have to live with them either for a time or for the rest of our lives; so we better be careful in making choices. we also tell them that even indecisiveness/fence sitting by itself is a decision or choice and it may have adverse consequences in their lives.

We've passed on to them them basic money 101 as a guide to responsible handling of money. we're one of those with a mindset that education is one of the keys to better options in life so we encourage them to take higher education that is why we set up education funds to help them achieve it. there's nothing wrong to like/want/buy expensive items, but they better have the resources to pay for them so they don't go into debt. they've seen us live a debt-free lifestyle and hopefully that is also the one they would want to live later on. we know that we can only teach our children but we cannot impose on them our values when they become adults.

**AprilP** · 04-03-2007, 03:13 PM

Well, obviously, I'm trying to teach them responsibility and to be a good person, but on the more practical side, I'm teaching mine basic home skills. When I moved out of my parents house, I knew nothing about homemaking skills. I couldn't cook (still not too well), I didn't know how to clean, iron, make beds, do laundry, grocery shop, NOTHING. My mother had done everything for my sister and I. All we had to do was keep our room relatively straight. I had no idea how to pay bills, budget, I didn't even know how to write a check.

Boy was that a crash course. My children will never be in that position.