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Anyone else enjoy a good Renaissance Faire? My family does, and we went to a small one this past weekend. Yes, in Renaissance garb.
We didn't take Gage along, as let's face it, being dragged along to one of these things would not be fun for a one year old. For those of you unfamiliar with Renaissance Faires, there are all kinds of booths selling handmade items, many but not all of which could have been available during the Renaissance, and a lot of people dress up for the occasion. They also talk in Elizabethan English when possible. Then there are the jugglers, actors, knights, pirates... and don't forget to stand aside when the Queen comes through with her entourage!
Ariel had a blast. This particular Faire was in a park with a playground, so she had to stop there every time it came into view. But I think her favorite part was meeting the troll girl. They spent a long time talking, with Ariel asking all kinds of questions. At the end of it, she had decided that she wants to be a troll when she grows up, or maybe just for Halloween.
We'll be going to the big Southern California one next weekend or maybe in a few weeks if we decide we just aren't in the mood for any reason next weekend. It's just a fun way to let your imagination rule the day. Some people are very serious about their reenactments of Renaissance times, while others are more focused on the fantasy side of things, which means you really shouldn't be surprised at the range of garb seen at a Renaissance Faire.
But for now, of course, it's back to modern life, raising my kids and running my sites. Fortunately, that's a lot of fun for me too.
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Children aren’t born with an understanding of how money works; all parents learn that one quickly. A young child sees the things they want or need just appear from Mommy and Daddy. The fact that Mommy or Daddy gave money to the sales clerk means nothing to them. So how do you teach your kids about money?
You have to consider your child’s age first. My daughter, for example, is three, going on four. Right now she knows the names of the various coins, but the difference in value between a dollar and a quarter, for example, is completely unclear to her.
To help her learn, we are letting her spend just a little bit of money. We gave her a $3 budget to buy her baby brother a birthday present a couple months ago. She struggled quite a bit finding presents in her price range and had to settle for something other than what she had wanted to buy for him. Specifically, she wanted to buy a farm for him, but most of those we saw were in the $20 price range. She finally found a variety of small gifts that fit her budget. She was so delighted to be able to give the cashier the money we had given to her.
Now, obviously this taught her very little about the value of money. She didn’t have to earn it, and she really didn’t understand why some things cost too much. But it was a very early lesson in sticking to a budget.
You need to decide when you give your children money and why. Some parents prefer to give a regular allowance with no association with getting chores done, etc. Others have a set rate given provided chores are done, while still others have a set rate per chore completed. There’s no right or wrong way, but you do need to be clear on when your kids get money. Don’t forget to consider ways in which your kids may earn extra money.
Also consider making rules on how allowance may be spent. Many families have their kids put their allowance in multiple containers - one for immediate use, one short term savings, one long term savings, one for charity, or any combination of containers. Saving money is a habit many parents have trouble keeping, but it is a great one to teach your children.
By the same token, try to avoid teaching your kids to rely too much on credit. Some parents will let their kids borrow money against their next allowance. Now, managing credit well is a vital skill, but it is one best saved for after kids have managed to learn how to save money well, in my opinion. On special family trips it may be appropriate to loan your child some money, but if it something that can easily be bought later it is far better that they learn the value of saving toward a goal.
But there are more ways to teach your kids about money than giving them an allowance. Talk to them about what things cost when you go to the grocery store. Go over what each item costs, and if buying by weight, explain how buying more means you pay more, and that you only want to buy what will actually be used. This is also a good time to teach them about quality, and how to look for the best produce. Children are very proud when they find food that is worth buying and may have a good eye for things once they have been taught what to look out for.
Don’t forget to teach them about coupons! Once your child is old enough to not throw them around, he or she may be good at keeping track of your coupons and making sure you remember to use them.
As your kids get older you should help them to build a more realistic picture of what things cost. Have them write the checks out for your bills - or, if you have automatic payments as many people do nowadays, go over your statements from your various bills so that they can see how much everything is really costing you.
Managing money well is a vital life skill and one that children can begin to learn at a very young age. You don’t have to have your finances in good order before setting a good example for your child. In fact, teaching good money habits to your child might just help you to take a look at how you are spending your money and help you to improve your habits. This is one habit that your kids will be grateful to have later!
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there's more to staying home with your family than just business. For more stay at home tips, visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com/ and subscribe to the free newsletter.
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I've learned that no matter who you are and what you do, there will always be someone who thinks you don't know what you're doing.
The desire for approval can be debilitating. It will slow you down and make you second guess everything that you do. It is something that simply must be shaken to make the moves you need to make to be truly successful.
As the youngest daughter of a dysfunctional family I am used to being told I don't measure up. My mother was always quick to tell me what I did wrong. This is a terrible way to grow up but it did thicken my skin and teach me to rely on my own senses - which we all need to do if we're going to succeed in life.
Who gets to decide whether you're qualified to do what you do? In some cases there are legal requirements, licenses, certification or a minimum level of training. But in many careers, especially in a fast changing entrepreneurial world - there are no prerequisites.
There is no "guru" licensing association. There are no "expert" exams to be taken to determine if someone is worthy of the title. This means anyone who tries to tag themselves with the "expert" badge is opening themselves up to judgment from peers. And this judgment can oftentimes be pretty harsh.
But does it really matter what others think? Sure, it would be great to have the accolades of our contemporaries but if it isn't forthcoming, does that mean you should lay down your dreams and walk away? People pleasing is a thankless job. It's my advice to not even bother.
If you have a vision for your future - go for it.
I'm not suggesting that you build your future in a vacuum and never seek out advice from respected sources. You need trusted people to bounce ideas with and receive constructive criticism from. Choose those who are several steps ahead on the path you would like to take, or if you're breaking new ground, they should at least be in the same genre of business that you're aiming for.
You'll get the most from a mentoring relationship when your mentor shares your values. Do you know what your values are? Take some time to do some "values evaluation". What do I value most? Is it family & friendship? Choose a mentor who places an equally high value on these things. Are you committed to socially responsible business ethics? Find a mentor who has built their business based on those principles.
Be careful to not pick too many mentors. You can talk to five successful business people and hear five different "keys to success". If you pursue too many opinions at a time, you'll get confused and have trouble applying what you learn.
When you hand pick special people and give them permission to speak into your life and comment upon your choices and plans - they are the opinions that matter. If you focus on this - all the other voices will be drowned out. Well, that's not exactly true. You will hear them. But you don't have to pay any attention to them - and frankly - they don't have your best interests at heart anyways.
The pack will always hate to see one of their own break away. When you're one of the many, the many will accept you. While you're struggling, they'll commiserate with you. When you fail, they will nod their heads and comfort you. But stand up and begin to stretch your wings - watch out. Begin to believe in yourself and actually make some moves to move beyond the many and you're in trouble now.
All the sudden they're all experts on whether you're an expert.
There is always someone willing to remind you of where you came from. Maybe you're doing what they wish they could do and they feel threatened. (Have you ever felt that way?) Maybe they feel that you're moving on up before you've "done your time" in the trenches. Whatever the reasons, the commentary can be painful.
Everyone has to make a move to the next level at some point. Since there's no cap and gown ceremony in your entrepreneurial future, only you can decide when that will be. So just go for it and let the negative go. (Make like a duck and let it roll off your back!)
Entrepreneurs cannot make their decisions by committee. There is no committee! It's the you, you and you show! You have to make decisions quickly and stand behind them. Will you make mistakes? Yes! But that's ok!
Go read a handful of successful biographies and you'll read about lots of mistakes and outright failures in their lives. They didn't let their mistakes keep them from trying again and neither should you.
Kelly McCausey is the host of Work at Home Moms Talk Radio (http://www.wahmtalkradio.com) and co-Mentor at MomMasterminds.com (http://www.mommasterminds.com). She is passionate about helping Moms be successful in business.
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