|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Using Pocket-money To Promote Independence In Kids
In seminars I am often asked about pocket-money and whether it should be earned or only given when children behave well. My belief is that children should receive pocket-money as their small share of the family-wealth just as they should share the workload at home. This is not to say that the family income is divided equally between all members. Rather, children are given a realistic sum of money, given their age, needs and ability to deal with money. It makes sense to provide guidelines about spending including letting them know just what they are expected to buy. A child in lower primary school may get enough to purchase some sweets and one or two other items, whereas a child in upper primary school may get enough to cover lunch orders, bus money and some treats. An allowance that covers clothing can be useful for adolescents who can be very costly to outfit in the latest fashions. Let them know you will buy the basics items and that they can make up the difference between brand names and basic items from their pocket-money. Pocket-money can teach children a great deal about goal-setting. By encouraging children to save for a big ticket item such as a bike or skateboard children learn a great deal about planning and looking ahead, the value of budgeting and experience personal satisfaction of reaching a goal When used in this way, pocket-money is an excellent way to develop independence in children and young people. But my children don't spend money wisely! It helps if you give them guidance from the start and also insist that they divide their pocket-money three ways ? some for spending, some for the future and some for charity or a social service. I am loathe to interfere too much in their spending as it is their share of the wealth and they need to have some control over their spending. However there are times when for children's own long-term best interests that parents need to step in. For instance, if a child has a weight-problem and he or she is always buying sweets then parental interference is the best option. It is about knowing your child and using common sense. Should children be given pocket-money if they misbehave? It is wisest to keep pocket-money and behaviour separate. Parents can get themselves into also sorts of bother and cause a great deal of resentment in children when they withdraw pocket-money until they behave better. Look for other ways to promote good behaviour rather than withholding their allowance. How often should pocket-money be given? It helps if pocket-money is given regularly. Like adults children should have a pay day each week or fortnight when they receive their share of the family wealth. Give it to them in coins so they can easily allocate it to different uses. At what age can I start with pocket-money? You can start giving pocket-money to children as young at four and cut it out on their fifteenth birthday so they are encouraged to get a part-time job. For four and five year olds give them a couple of coins and relate them to two items that you routinely buy for them as treats. Let them know they can buy these themselves or put their money in a money-box for later. The use of pocket-money is one way to remove pressure children place on their parents to buy, buy, buy. When they come home from school and ask you to buy the latest toy because all their friends have one you can let them know that they can purchase it or at least make a contribution from their personal wealth. For more practical ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient young people read Michael's best selling parenting book - One Step Ahead. It is available at the shop at www.parentingideas.com.au. Michael Grose is a leading parent educator. he is the author of six book and 300 articles, and he gives over 100 presentations a year. For more ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient young people subscribe to Happy Kids, Michael's Grose's free fortnightly email newsletter for parents. Get a free report Seven ways to reduce sibling fighting when you subscribe at http://www.parentingideas.com.au
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Partnering With Your Daycare or Preschool For the most positive daycare experience for your child, partner with your childcare center and make a personal investment beyond the monthly tuition. You can build your partnership with your daycare by volunteering your time, contributing goods or services, or donating money.If your child is in daycare full-time, he is spending 40 ? 60 hours at your daycare facility with his childcare providers. You owe it to your child to help make the center the best it can be for him. Beautification Day. Schedule a few hours on a Saturday morning for a group of parents to come into the center and give it a really thorough spring cleaning where you tackle involved chores like painting walls, repairing bookcases, decorating classrooms, scrubbing cubbies.Fundraising. You can support your center's fundraising efforts by asking for goods, services or monetary donations. Ask friends and family to partake in fundraising auction events with you ? spirited bidding in a live auction is a lively way to spend a Saturday evening with friends while benefiting a good cause.Participation. Spending an hour or two in the classroom a week reading stories, engaging in dramatic play or just lending a helping hand are all time well spent and greatly appreciated by the daycare center.If your schedule is too tight to accommodate volunteering at school, think creatively about other ways you can contribute ? do you have a skill, talent or connection that can potential benefit the school in some way. It may be an activity that seems inconsequential in your normal course of business but would be invaluable to your daycare center. Here are some examples to get you started:Investment Banking. Most centers have an emergency fund they must keep for unexpected facility maintenance or other unplanned expenses. Suggest the best short term investment vehicles for them.Tax Accountant. Offer to review their current tax preparation forms or evaluate their tax planning process.Medical Expertise. Conduct a 30 minute seminar or write a column in the newsletter about common childhood ailments, healthy eating or sleeping practices.Educational Background. Suggest weekend learning activities or offer to conduct a 30 minute special event for one of the older classrooms.Music. Entertain the kids with an impromptu concert or offer to entertain at the center's annual fundraising event.Legal. Offer to review contracts or agreements the school is considering. Offer to review the current application portfolio and identify policies or additional waivers or agreements that should be included.Sales. Create a bonus plan for the teaching staff that takes into account length of employment and special recognitions.Marketing. Review the centers brochures, ads and marketing plans. Make recommendations for how to best sell the centers services, help develop creative materials and negotiate print rates with vendors.Facilities. Offer to inspect the daycare facilities and make maintenance repairs or negotiate with preferred vendors for discounted rates. Fraternal Twin Parenting Concerns Identity and Your Fraternal Twin Are Your Kids Driving You Crazy? How Character Building Charts Keep You Sane Who lives in your house? Are they driving you "crazy?" Do you have a Winnie the Whiner, a Sammy the Slacker, or a Bubba the Bully? Perhaps you've yelled, you've lectured, and you've even spanked to get your Winnie to stop whining, your Sammy to do his chores, and your Bubba to stop hurting his little brother. How can you get your Peter the Cheater to play fair, your Larry the Liar to tell the truth or your Tilly the Tattle to mind her own business? Our greatest task as parents is to raise children with strong healthy characters. Let's find out how Character-Building Charts helped one mother and how they can help you too. Americas Public School System --- Brutal and Spartan The public school system in America has become a dismal failure. But education in many other times and cultures has been quite successful. The ancient Greeks, whose civilization was at its height around 500 B.C., founded Western civilization as we know it. The Athenian Greeks invented or perfected logic, drama, science, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, literature, and much more. Yet ancient Greece had no compulsory schools. How Being a Mom Makes You a Better Professional "Becoming a parent can make you a better worker," New York Times writer Lisa Belkins said in a recent column. How to Create an Emotional Bond with Your Child One of the most powerful tools that parents have for raising their children is the natural emotional bond that exists between them and their child. Children who feel close to their parents will have a strong desire to obey them. No child with this type of connection to his parents will want to risk hurting that connection by disobeying them. When such a relationship exists, the mere look of dissatisfaction on the face of a parent will usually be enough to curb inappropriate behavior. This bond is so strong and so potent that it lasts even through adolescence when most of the disciplinary tools at our disposal are ineffective. Often, it is the only tool we have in guiding our teenage children. Parents who do not have such a connection with their children have lost a vital resource necessary for successful parenting. How To Teach Your Children Self-Reliance and Potential Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that I'd highly recommend parents teach their children. Examining Drugs for ADHD, Particularly Strattera In memory of 14 year old Matthew Smith; 11 year old Stephanie Hall; and 10 year old Shaina Dunkle and other children who have died from the use of psychotropic drugs for "ADHD". Bad Company Here we will come to know who are the most responsible person to make your child an addicted person & failure. Parenting Your Teenager: The Bottom Line Issues Q. When you consult with a family with teens, what are the typical bottom-line issues? 10 Steps to School Year Success Is Your Child Learning Nothing? You send your child to school and the teachers teach them. If that is what you think, you could be way wrong !While most teachers are good at presenting information to a class, learning happens ONLY if kids actually want to learn. Teachers may have little time for individual work, and you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.And in many schoolrooms today a majority of the class see learning as not cool, with kids trying hard to not learn !You may think that the school will tell you if your child is not learning, but you will probably be way wrong there.School funding generally depends on the school saying how good they are at teaching children, so often they will say that all kids are doing fine even when many are learning nothing.You may think that school inspectors will ensure that kids are learning well, but NO their job is only to ensure that teachers are teaching well.So is your child learning nothing ? Well many parents today find out by setting their children their own school tests - as by using Math Sheets that come with the answers. It can be made an easy fun 5-minute daily game "let's play our 'my school test' game".Not only will you then know that your child is learning, but you should find that you showing a little regular interest in their learning will increase their learning motivation strongly.You can stick to maths sheets only, or can vary your mini-school-test to science or other subjects using questions from their schoolbooks. Just keep it brief so it does not become a chore for them.If you show a little regular interest in your child's learning then they will want to learn, and will not follow anti-learning classmates.Then when the school says that your child is doing fine, it will happen to actually be the truth! Beginning the Special Education Process Like anything else in life, there's a method to the special education process. It was put in place to help people who deal with learning disabilities get the best services possible. In order to help you understand this method, here's a simplified version of the Special Education process. Car Wash Fundraiser Preparation Are you considering a car wash fundraiser for your group? We all no it is getting harder and harder to raise the funds for non-profit groups these days. Especially kids groups such as youth groups, sports teams, high school bands and scouts. Now more than ever it is important that we take special care to mentor our youth. One of the most important things you need to do to insure a successful car wash fundraiser is to pay special attention to the pre-planning preparation. How to Help Your Child be Successful in Kindergarten Your child's first year of school should be a fun and excitingtime. Children who are comfortable with and prepared for this first school experience are more likely to have rewarding and productive years, and therefore associate positive feelings with education. Since parents are children's first and most important teachers, you can play a key role in preparing your children for a successful school experience by pre-exposing themto key concepts they will experience in school. This can be done in a fun, enjoyable manner by making everyday playexperiences learning experiences as well. Nights by a Pinocchio Lamp Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as her tiny shadow puppet danced on the bedroom wall. "A bunny!" she giggled with all the jubilance of a four-year old. Her blue eyes sparkled with pride as she showed me the animated image she had created. What Julia Roberts has to Say about Motherhood Julia Roberts recently gave birth to twins: Hazel and Phinnaeus. At 37, America's Pretty Woman couldn't be happier in her new role of motherhood. The Scientific Breakthrough That Allows Every Couple To Choose The Gender Of Their Baby The advances in science over the past century have been breath-taking. We've seen man stroll casually on the moon, watched in awe as scientists cloned and brought a sheep to life using nothing more than a few strands of microscopic DNA and we witnessed some stunning improvements in the fields of medicine and care ? for example, Viagra to some has been the discovery of a lifetime. From Birth to Teen, Spirituality in Children Until about the age of six, children do not generally have the aptitude to think in abstract terms. But they do have an imagination, and they do fantasize... it is just that they reduce or compare the fantasy to something real that they can comprehend. If they fantasize about a "universal mind" or a "universal being" or God then they usually conjure up an image that is real to them. Teenagers and Stress: What Parents Can Do to Help More and more parents are expressing their concerns about how to support their teenagers who are complaining about the stress in their lives.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
