Finance/Children

Hi Taylor: I’ve been trying to be productive with all this extra time I’m spending with my kids. Taylor They’re pretty Kovar young, 7 and 9, but I’m wondering if there are lessons about money I can try to teach them? - Julie

Hey Julie: I don’t think it’s ever too early to start teaching kids about money. A lot of what you teach won’t stick, but it’s all foundational stuff at this point and absolutely worth the effort. Here are a few simple ways you can get started.

Just talk about it. A big part of kids learning to talk is just speaking with them consistently. The same can be said when you start teaching them about money. As you pay for something with a credit card, talk about how that process works. Explain why certain items go on sale and then talk about how great it is to pay less for something. Don’t worry about stuff sailing over their heads, because it’s all part of a process.

Make saving fun. Collect all your pennies in a jar and go get ice cream when you have a few dollars. Roll quarters together to show what $10 looks like. Make a chart with goals so every purchase feels like an accomplishment. When we get exhausted by life, we tend to buy toys and video games with haste to provide that instant gratification. If you can make the build-up to the buying enjoyable, you teach a good lesson while spending less in the

Hanna’s

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ed by Heng’s parents and siblings.

His son Alex is a junior at Lakeview High School in Garland and his daughter Phoebe is attending the School of Arts in Chicago.

Other than the popular Orange Chicken with fried rice, the menu also includes Beef Teriyaki, Pork Egg Rolls, Veggie Egg Rolls, Fried & Steamed Dumplings, Wonton Noodle Soup, Beef Noodle, Fried Noodle, Spring Rolls, Pork buns, and Edamame.

The Fried Rice meal comes with options of shrimp, chicken, combo, or veggie. The Teriyaki also has the option of chicken instead of beef. The Orange Chicken can also have shrimp instead of chicken. long run.

Explain income. At seven and nine, your children are entering the phase where these lessons will actually sink in. After you tell them how money works, explain how you got the money in the first place. Don’t shy away from talking about salaries and earnings. At some point you’ll have to talk about why some families make more or less than others, so don’t hesitate to touch on the subject early. If you’re open and honest about these topics, it will make all the money issues easier to discuss. You’ll get less pushback on allowances and vacation spending and the budgeting you do will start to have some context in your kids’ eyes.

I take a lot of pride in trying to teach my kids about money, even though sometimes it feels like I’m explaining quantum theory. Keep at it and try to make the process as fun as you can. Thanks for writing!

Legal Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.

veggie as well.

Also, another favorite has been the Thai tea which most Texans would refer to as an orange sweet tea.

Heng purchased the building in February of 2019 and began work on the building mostly himself for the 15-month period. With the other business in place, he would come up mainly on Sundays to work.

“I work for my kids and I work for my wife,” said Heng.

The Heng family wanted to thank Howe for the warm welcome and the steady opening week of business.

They are on Facebook at Hana’s Café and Market and their phone number is 903-532-0529. They are giving a 10 percent discount Q: Our nineyear-old has just learned he is not going back to school on schedule in the fall. Instead, he John will be doing Rosemond distance learning by computer and home instruction. We had to do this for the last six weeks of the last school term and he did not like it at all. Up until now, he has loved school and been a great student. To homeschool him, I had to take a leave of absence from my job, but I’m just not suited to it it seems. Our family can squeak by without a second income, so that’s not the primary issue, but I feel like we’re caught between a rock and a hard place. It looks like I have to quit my job and my son is very upset that he won’t be going back to school. He cries about it, isn’t sleeping well some nights, and is beginning to develop some obedience issues. Do you have any ideas for me?

A: Over the last several months, I’ve been bombarded by folks who are describing similar problems. I’ll tell you what I’ve told them but keep in mind, a one -size-fits-all answer does not exist.

According to parent reports, children’s reactions to the closing of schools have ranged from apathy to making the best of it. No doubt about it, significant numbers of children are experiencing mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and various forms of acting out. That is understandable given that for many kids, no school combined with no after-school sports means virtual isolation at home. Unfortunately, that often translates into over-exposure to screen-based devices that have been shown to have negative effects on both mood and behavior. I cannot be more adamant: Do not allow your child to fill his time with video games, unsupervised time on the computer, and the like. Help him connect face-to-face with other children and free play activities.

Let’s begin this problem-solving exercise by asking: Does the shuttering of schools in your state extend to all forms of private education as well? If not, and since your income is discretionary, then consider sending your son to a private school.

As for you not being suited to homeschooling, consider that the public-school curricula in question were not designed for that purpose. Public schools are attempting to shoehorn a classroom-based education model into homeschooling. That is not a valid means of assessing one’s “suitability” – whether parent or child – for homeschooling. Get in touch with your local homeschool coordinator. Ask her to recommend a curriculum and find out what sorts of homeschool options are available in your area. There well may be one that fits both you and your son. The “university model,” for example, combines group instruction and home-based instruction. That might allow you to work part-time while providing your son with a good amount of needed socializing.

Finally, see if you can find a retired teacher in your area whom you can hire to homeschool in your stead. You might even be able to form a small homeschool group with children of other parents who are in the same boat.

This will pass, but just as COVID -19 is permanently altering the way people work, it is going to alter the “look” of education in America. It may well be time to shake things up a bit anyway.

Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, p arentguru.com.

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology. In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.