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In this issue: Doing more, ideas and tactics that can help and standing up for your convictions in a consumer culture.
“Working to help parents raise money-smart kids.”
3 Ideas to Share & Save
(Click the link above 👆 to read this week’s edition on the web.)
Hello, friends,
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a day of service. This celebration resonates more this year, as it falls on his actual birthday.
Inspired by Dr. King’s eloquence, I’d like to share a few thoughts with you.
— 1 —
Waking Up:
Do you wish you could do more? Like be a better model for your kids? Or give back more than you do? I often wake up from what feels like a dream, realizing questions like these are swirling around in my head.
Of course, we can be doing more. (Hence the swirling thoughts. 😅) Still, we need to take time in the present to recognize that we’re doing plenty. Notably, for our kids. After all, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? I write this newsletter to myself as much as I write it for you. We’re fellow travelers on the money-smart journey.
To be sure, we should consider Dr. King’s question. Not in a way that devolves into self-loathing, but as an impetus to take action now: What’s one thing I can do to help someone else?
— 2 —
Be a Bush: Here are three short videos that might prompt us to uncover some answers to the above question. (The first, in which I have far fewer gray hairs, is from the “Way Back Machine.” 😂)
Help your kids use their Share jars by making giving personal:
Use an allowance to share your values with your kids:
And if you’re looking for a big idea, guest Ellen Rogin shares one for the entire family:
I admit I find Ellen’s idea intimidating because 1️⃣ it’s wonderfully big and 2️⃣ I feel like I missed the window of opportunity to do this with our kids. (They’re in college now.) I believe these words from Dr. King offer some perspective when large-scale intimidation sets in:
— 3 —
Courage of Conviction: We celebrate Dr. King because he is someone who literally lived and died for his convictions.
On my Art of Allowance Podcast, I have been fortunate to speak with many people who built their lives around their convictions. Notably, Josh Golin, the Executive Director of Fairplay (previously the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood), explains that it’s okay to stand up for your beliefs:
I’ve shared many of my own convictions with you in this newsletter. For instance, I believe we could all benefit from turning the dial (or slider) towards having less stuff. Also, I’ve explained why the “Buy Now Pay Later” movement is something we should help our kids avoid. And, of course, if you’ve read my book or you’ve been reading this newsletter since its inception, you know I’ve advocated for decoupling chores and allowance, particularly for young kids.
You also know there’s room for disagreement. In fact, several of my podcast guests have shared their reluctance to provide an allowance not tied to chores. James Robert Lay even explained he didn’t believe in giving his kids an allowance at all. 🤯
While these stances my guests and I have taken pale compared to the cause for which Dr. King died, they do matter. And he advised us that to care is to live:
Thank you for taking a few minutes of your day off to discuss some ideas I hope will resonate with you.
And as always, I hope you take time to enjoy the journey!
John,
Chief Mammal
P.S. Please consult with a financial or investment professional before making any decisions that might affect your financial well-being.
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