Saving For A Rainy Day

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Watching the news, you can't help but be concerned about America's economic stability. Banks closing, the stock market falling, gas prices, and the mortgage mess. A good friend found out Thursday that his publicly traded company had failed to meet a margin call when he got a phone call from a concerned golfing buddy. Is the sky really falling?

Seems to me that one of the most important things we can do for America's future is to raise financially savvy children. These teens will someday go out into the world. If they have learned to balance a checkbook, work for their money, spend only what they make, and save for a rainy day, we as parents have done our job well.

The example many of us are setting is just the opposite. One way is by living above our means. I can't tell you how many of my students talked about not answering the phone after 5:00 because "the man" was calling regarding overdue bills. They have watched their parents buy what they could not afford and live with the consequences. Instant gratification is the watch word for many American families. The long term results are crippling.

Those families blessed with abundant resources are not doing their children a favor by giving them everything. A strong work ethic is an important component of success in later life. Over-indulging our children short changes them and creates selfish, self- centered kids who do not appreciate their bounty and want even more. The satisfaction of wanting something and figuring how to get it is a good thing. Goals are set, plans are made, skills are learned and experiencing personal pride are all by products of working for something. Letting a teen go without is sometimes a good thing. Grades, conduct, attitude, involvement; all these expectations should factor in to what is given and what is not. It's not a bribe, it is an incentive.

Lastly, kids who grow up with families who are totally dependent on outside aid are not learning that hard work can prove satisfying and rewarding. Hard work and initiative are a way up and out. Kids live frugally and hand to mouth, but since children learn what they live, they expect no better for themselves. The "government cheese" attitude is creating a generation without dreams and without the life skills needed, even if they have them.

Greedy men and women have allowed some bad things to happen in our country. Just when you think checks and balances have been put in place because of the " last time", another disturbing announcement comes across the TV screen. The mortgage mess is a prime example. America's parents and America's children need to remember there is no free lunch. It's imperative that all of us realize we cannot count on our government to save us. It is up to each of us to tighten our belts, pay off our debts and live within our means. It isn't as much fun, but as Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann would say, " but that's the truth..."

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