Sample Parents Coach Blog:

Less Money Better Choices 
By Timothy Smith – The Parents Coach
www.ParentsCoach.Wordpress.com

The net worth of American households fell by the largest amount in more than a half-century of records during the fourth quarter of 2008. And we felt it!
According to the Federal Reserve, household net worth dropped by a record of 9 percent from the level in the third quarter. For six continuous quarters, our net worth has been dropping. If you have kids, you have noticed the pinch.
No wonder I feel poorer! One year like that and I’d be 36% poorer!
In a global recession, with increasing unemployment, collapse of markets; shrinking home equity and the loss of savings for college for kids and retirement for ourselves; how is a parent to cope with kids with increasing needs and escalating expenses?
The Parents Coach has some encouraging new. “It’s not all bad.”
Economic hard times don’t have to be depressing; they can actually be an asset; if parents choose to leverage the lessons that can be learned from cutting back. Your family can actually thrive in an age of having less.

Think about the folks who survived the great depression; the Dust Bowl; WWII and all the challenges of the first half of the last century. Today we call them ‘The Greatest Generation’ because of their determination, thrift and grit. They learned lessons in adversity that could never have been
learned in prosperity and ease.

Indulgence makes for weak character. Always seeking comfort, speed and ease leads to a sense of entitlement and self-centeredness.

Self-restraint, patience and waiting help forge strong character. Our economic hard times could actually be a parent’s ally, because we are forced to grow these virtues within ourselves and within our children.

Here are seven tips to help you thrive in a time when money is tight:

• Master the 4 R’s of: Recycle; Re-use; Restore and Repair
• Go beyond, “Turn out the lights!” Let them see the context of energy; cost; impact on the planet, etc.
• Don’t freak out about finances. Balance reality (“We have less money”) with security (“We will be okay.”)
• Have age-appropriate talks with your kids about finances. Make it a team approach. “We only have so much and we are going to have to make some cuts. Any suggestions?”
• Be willing to suspend activities, sports and the ‘extras’ that cost and spend that time as a family playing; going on walks; bicycling; picnics; playing board games, etc.
• Resist the “I just want my kids to be happy” obsession. And focus on having fun together; making memories as a family; and preparing them for life (like participating in chores) even if it doesn’t make them happy.
• Most American children are feeling overscheduled and underconnected. Use this time to do fewer sign-up activities and more free play together. Focus less on performance and more on connecting.


What has worked for you? Please submit your tips on how to survive with less to me at Tim@ParentsCoach.org
 

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