Letter from Kim

Welcome to adulting

MY KIDS SEEM DETERMINED to grow up fast and it kills me. They just don’t know how lucky they are! It’s not like they don’t have any problems or responsibilities, but at least they get to live each day blissfully ignorant about stress bombs like credit card debt, disability insurance and education savings plans.

But as parents, you and I don’t. Th ere’s just too much at stake. To have a child is to take on responsibility for the life trajectory of another person, and it’s a lot. Th ere’s nothing you want more than to get it right.

If you weren’t taught much about personal fi nance as a kid (I wasn’t) and you spent your 20s with your fi nancial head mostly buried in the proverbial sand (hi, me again), that’s OK. But now that you’re a parent, it’s time to push past your intimidation, confusion or even just disinterest, and commit to fi guring this stu out. We’ll get you started with our New-Parent’s Guide to Adulting (page 66). We know you’re tired and busy, so we’ve made sure it’s an easy read, even if you’re holding this magazine in one hand while nursing your new baby with the other. Trust me, you’ll feel so much better when you’ve gained a bit of conf idence in your f inancial decision-making.

Speaking of new babies, if you’re at home with one, we know this special period in your life probably isn’t playing out like you expected. Th e newborn days can be isolating at the best of times, but during a pandemic, it’s likely meant little to zero family help, no fun mombaby classes, added responsibilities with older kids and skyrocketing anxiety . If you’re struggling, know that we feel you, you’re not alone and we’re here to help (page 58).

Fact is, a lot of people aren’t in a great place right now—fi nancially, emotionally and otherwise. But 10 months into this mess, there’s fi nally a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, with Canada inching its way toward vaccination and a couple of the harsh winter months behind us. We’ve made it this far. Keep going. We’re almost there.

TWEET ME @SHIFFER Editor-in-Chief KIM SHIFFMAN

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