Picture this: You are standing in the [more...] Is It Worth It? http://www.moneywizdom.com/1572/is-it-worth-it/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Is It Worth It? March 04, 2010 Picture this: You are standing in the cereal aisle in your local grocery store, faced with the usual 100+ choices. Your kids swirl around you, excitedly telling you they want this one or that one. Do you get the Kellogg’s cornflakes or the generic? The General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios or the generic O’s version? How do you decide? Not to mention, how do you ever get out of the store in one piece with so many choices in one food category, let alone the entire store? And how do you begin to teach your kids all that goes into your decision: price, taste, size, packaging, environmental considerations, moral scruples about corporate practices, which coupons you have, and so on? How can we help our kids understand that generics might prove to be a better alternative than the name brands seen in all the insistent TV commercials? Why not put some products to the test? Give your kids a chance to decide whether big-name brands are really worth it. When To Do After school or on the weekend What To Do A fun thing you can do with your kids is to have them compare generics and non-generics on a number of categories. The next time you are in the grocery store, pick up both generic and name brand versions of some of your kid’s favorite cereals or other foods. Keep the store receipts for use in comparing prices. (Tip: If your store provides cost-per-ounce info on the shelf price label, jot this down on a pad or on the package.) Prepare a small worksheet for you and your kids to fill out for each product.   PRODUCT 1 PRODUCT 2 Price     Taste     Ingredients     Packaging     Advertising        Coupons     Other     Select one food category for the first round of comparison. Set both the generic and name-brand items on the table, with proper utensils and bowls or plates, for your kids to examine, read, open, taste, and so on. Have your kids review each product and record their findings on the assessment worksheet. You may have to help them fill it in or prompt them for ways to think about comparing taste, the box copy, nutritional information, and so on. Once the worksheet is complete for the first two items, discuss what your kids uncovered in the comparison. Finally, have your kids vote on whether the generic version is better than the name brand, based on your family’s criteria. You can rerun the exercise any time to compare other products. Bonus: Do a blind taste test and see whether your kids can tell which is the generic and which is the name brand. What You Will Need Food items for comparison; store receipts Pad of paper Pencils or pens Calculator (optional) Talk About It After completing a round of comparison, ask your kids what they thought of the exercise. Did they learn anything new? If so, what? Would they like to compare other products? What would they like to compare? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1572/is-it-worth-it/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1560/fun-winter-reading/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1560/fun-winter-reading/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:45:34 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1560

By reading aloud with our kids, we can [more...] Fun Winter Reading http://www.moneywizdom.com/1560/fun-winter-reading/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Fun Winter Reading February 19, 2010 By reading aloud with our kids, we can boost their interest in reading and their fundamental literacy skills, including reading ability and comprehension, vocabulary, listening comprehension, attention span, and ability to articulate thoughts. Being read to by an adult also helps build a kid’s self-esteem and confidence. We have gathered some fun stories you can add to your reading list that can expand your kids’ awareness and ideas about spending money wisely. Mmmm, spending — one of our favorite topics (and did we mention, one of our favorite pastimes?). When To Do Bedtime or a quiet hour before dinner What To Do Here are three storybooks to share with your kids — all focused on spending lessons. Title: You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime, by Harriet Ziefert Ages: 4 and older Not at your library? Amazon Link What it’s all about: Your young reader will follow the story of Pete, a dinosaur-loving boy who saves up to buy himself a toy dinosaur. Pete uses all his savings for the new toy. Then he realizes that although he loves his new dinosaur, he is also sad to not have any money in his bank jar. With the help of interactive questions, you can help your kids relate to the story and learn simple basics about spending money.   Title: The Berenstain Bears’ Dollars and Sense by Stan and Jan Berenstain Ages: 4 to 8 Not at your library? Amazon link What it’s all about: Like most kids, Brother and Sister Bear sure know how to spend money. Whether it’s for ice cream or balloons, they can go through their allowance before they know it’s gone. But what they don’t know is how to manage their money. This story will teach your kids that there is nothing wrong with spending money, but it’s always smart to understand the value of money and how to save it. The book also includes tear-out checks that kids can use, just like in the book!   Title: Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells Ages: 3 to 8 Not at your library? Amazon Link What it’s all about: The beloved bunnies Max and Ruby have saved enough money to buy a present for their grandma’s birthday. Ruby already has an idea of what they want to buy, but Max has other ideas. One thing leads to another, until they’ve spent most of their money but still haven’t bought a gift! In the end it all works out, and Grandma is extremely pleased with the gifts she receives from her favorite grandchildren. See what your kids think about how Ruby planned and saved enough money to buy something she wanted, how to spend money wisely (unlike Max), and how you can spend too much money without realizing it. What You Will Need Visit your local library or bookstore if you do not have copies of the suggested books. Talk About It After reading any one of the books with your kids, can they think of ways they have seen money spent well? Spent poorly? Is there anything they have ever bought and later decided they did not like anymore? If so, do they know why? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1560/fun-winter-reading/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1550/presidents-day-got-a-dollar/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1550/presidents-day-got-a-dollar/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:04 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1550

Using an everyday item, like a [more...] Presidents Day: Got a Dollar? http://www.moneywizdom.com/1550/presidents-day-got-a-dollar/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Presidents Day: Got a Dollar? February 10, 2010 Using an everyday item, like a dollar bill, you can share a lot with your kids this Presidents Day. A dollar, showcasing our first president, is worth far more than you realize —it offers a way to teach your kids some fun history lessons. Do you know a dollar bill has hidden pictures, spots of color, and odd symbols? And that’s just the beginning. Do you have any idea what all of those seemingly random letters and phrases mean? Take this opportunity to explore the dollar bill and share some surprising money and history facts with your kids. When To Do Presidents Day What To Do Ask your bank for some fresh, crisp new bills, two for each kid, so they can explore and compare both sides at once. Have at least one magnifying glass; ideally, one for each kid; it’s a must for the items they’ll be looking for. Lay out the bills under a good light, look closely, and answer the following dollar bill trivia questions, in honor of our first U.S. president, George Washington. How come when you accidentally launder a dollar bill it does not fall apart? The dollar bill is made from a blend of cotton and linen. Combining these two materials makes a very durable piece of paper — one that will not fall apart if it goes through the wash. Look closely at a bill with the magnifying glass to find the red and blue silk fibers woven throughout. Hint: Look in the white spaces on the face of the bill for little bits of the colored threads.   Can you find any tiny owls or spiders hidden on the front of the bill? Look for a teeny owl next to the large "1" on the upper right of the bill. Look at the shield shape that surrounds that "1"; in the top left corner, the owl’s head and shoulders appear in the “scoop” of the shield, right next to the stylized leaves. Now take a really close look all over the bill. What shapes do your kids see: a spider, an owl, something else?   On the reverse side of the dollar bill, look closely at the bottom of the pyramid. Why are there a bunch of letters: MDCCLXXVI? The letters are actually Roman numerals: M is 1,000 D is 500 CC is 200 (C is 100, 100 x 2 = 200) L is 50 XX is 20 (X is 10, 10 x 2 = 20) VI is 6 (V is 5, I is 1, 5 + 1 = 6) Add all of these up, and you get 1776: the year our country was formed.   The eagle on the right is holding a ribbon or streamer in its bill. What does the phrase “E Pluribus Unum” mean? "Out of many, one." This was added to the bill to celebrate that the original 13 colonies came together to form one new country — the United States of America.   Why do we have a bald eagle on our dollar bill? Our founders wanted an animal native to America to be the new nation’s symbol. The Second Continental Congress officially declared the bald eagle the national emblem of the United States in 1782. (Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird, but he was outvoted.) The bald eagle’s image and symbolism have played a significant role in American art, folklore, music, and architecture.   What is the eagle is holding in its talons (feet)? It holds arrows, to signify war, and an olive branch, to signify peace. Can you think of why the founding fathers would put both items in the eagle’s talons?   How many groups of 13 can you find around the eagle? There are six groups of 13, in honor of the original 13 colonies: 13 leaves on the olive branch the eagle is holding in its right talons 13 fruits on the olive branch 13 arrows in the eagle’s left talons 13 letters in the phrase “E Pluribus Unum” 13 stars over the eagle’s head 13 bars on the shield on the eagle’s chest What You Will Need A few one-dollar bills Magnifying glass Talk About It Did your kids know there was so much history in one piece of paper? Show them a five-dollar or ten-dollar bill; are they interested in seeing what’s hidden on them and finding out the stories behind them? Why do they think we put presidents on our money? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1550/presidents-day-got-a-dollar/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1540/acts-of-kindness/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1540/acts-of-kindness/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:15:01 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1540

Valentine’s Day, February 14th, is a fun day [more...] Acts of Kindness http://www.moneywizdom.com/1540/acts-of-kindness/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Acts of Kindness February 5, 2010 Valentine’s Day, February 14th, is a fun day for both young and old! More than just a day for romantic couples, it can be a day to celebrate friendship and kindness, and to show our appreciation for all who are dear to our hearts. Because young kids are concrete thinkers, it can be hard for them to understand an abstract concept like kindness that can’t be represented by a physical object. However, by noticing when people around them give to others, offer their help, or take actions that make others feel comforted and loved, your kids can learn that "You are kind" means so much more than three words inscribed on a Valentine’s candy heart. When To Do Valentine’s Day, or any quiet afternoon What To Do Here are four kindness activities you can try with your kids this Valentine’s Day — or any other time during the year! Card Kindness What would Valentine’s Day be without pretty cards? Help your kids make cards of Kindness for those they appreciate in their lives. Help them identify ways in which their friends or family members have been kind. If they have trouble coming up with examples, give them some hints. (Hint for parents: take a little time in advance to recall some of these acts of kindness, so you’re ready to jog your kids’ memories!) Once they have some ideas, help them make cards thanking these special people for the various acts of kindness. Help them decorate with red paper, doilies, and stickers, or glue on candy hearts. You can suggest they also describe the kind act in writing — people love knowing that their kindness was noticed and remembered.   Special Gift Kindness As your own budget allows, give your kids a special gift budget to buy small Gifts of Kindness for a few of the kind people in their lives. Help your kids pick out items that mean something special to each of the people they have chosen. Suggest they remember gifts that they themselves have particularly enjoyed and treasured, and think about why they feel that way. If they have money left over, suggest they treat themselves to a Gift of Kindness — or save the money for something more special later!   I Spied Kindness Box Decorate an empty box with fun heartfelt images. Close it and cut a slot in the top. For a one-month period, ask you kids to be on the lookout for acts of kindness. Have them describe each kindness on a sheet of paper (the youngest kids may need your help with this), and drop it into the I Spied Kindness box. At the end of the month, open the box and spend time reading aloud all the acts of kindness. Give your kids a Gift of Kindness for all their hard work of noticing when people do kind things to others.   Kindness Jar Have your kids decorate a Kindness Jar to fill with spare change that your family will collect for a month. (Kids will love to watch the jar fill up day by day.) At the end of the month, help your kids sort the coins into coin roll wrappers and decide where they would like to donate the money. Take them to the chosen charity and let them hand over the contents of the Kindness Jar. What You Will Need Colored paper, doilies, stickers Candy hearts Jar Box (a shoe box or candy box is a good size) Scissors Tape, glue Talk About It Was it hard for your kids to find people who were kind? How many people do they know who are kind? Did they find it fun to do the activity you chose? Do they think they are kind? Are you? Are their siblings? Why or why not? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1540/acts-of-kindness/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1522/little-advertising-directors/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1522/little-advertising-directors/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:37:41 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1522

Our kids are constantly inundated with messages and [more...] Little Advertising Directors http://www.moneywizdom.com/1522/little-advertising-directors/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Little Advertising Directors January 27, 2010 Our kids are constantly inundated with messages and images for all kinds of things they could buy. Every day, TV, radio, magazines, billboards, and kiosk advertisements clamor for their attention. Evaluating all of those messages and determining what is true and what may not be is pretty hard for young kids. One fun way to build kids’ advertising evaluation savvy is to have them make their own ads. See whether your kids can tell truth from fiction when they build advertisements to your specifications. When To Do Rainy day What To Do Getting ready Set up your “advertising office” work area with papers, magazines, and art supplies. Pull a favorite packaged food item from your kitchen cupboards. Look for things with some advertising messages on the packaging, like cereal or cookies.  Building the first ad: Truthful Ask your kids to make an ad for the selected item that would make you want to buy it. Instruct them to use real facts about the item that would make you really like it. These must be true qualities and benefits of the product. Show them a sample ad, either real or one you’ve made to demonstrate the ad structure. Young kids need clear examples to model. Suggest that each ad include the following elements: Headline At least one picture A reason to buy Price If they like, your kids can add a slogan or other “pitches” (like the familiar “Great new look, same great taste!”). Building the second ad: Not so Truthful Now have them create a second ad that would make you want to buy the same item. This time they must try to trick you into wanting to buy it with “false advertising” in words and pictures. Show them a sample ad that is not completely truthful. Suggest they use the same structure as in ad #1.Headline Consider looking at one ad (or more!) each week with your kids to keep up their practice in evaluating the truthfulness of advertising claims. What You Will Need Favorite packaged food items to promote with the ads Sample print or online ads or ones you make up to help teach the key points of truthful and not-so-truthful ads Magazines with lots of food images Paper, colored pens and pencils Glue Tape Scissors Talk About It Was it hard for your kids to make up a good truthful ad? Was it hard to make up an ad that was not so truthful? Why do you think people make ads that are not truthful? How can we get better at evaluating ads? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1522/little-advertising-directors/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1510/fun-with-coins/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1510/fun-with-coins/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:35:13 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1510

Learning about money — [more...] Fun with Coins http://www.moneywizdom.com/1510/fun-with-coins/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Fun with Coins January 22, 2010 Learning about money — how to save it, share it, make it and spend it — is usually of big interest to kids! So they‘re pretty motivated to learn all about coins. Understanding how to count, use, and identify coins is an important basic money skill to learn at an early age. Using simple games, you can help your kids learn to recognize and understand the value of our currency — and help take the mystique out of those shiny, funny-looking little coins. When To Do Weekend day or weekday evening What To Do To introduce the coins and teach your kids about them, here are three fun activities that you can try on a weekend or evening after school. Throw a bunch of coins onto the ground and challenge your kids to see who can: Pick up the most coins in a time period. Start with 10 seconds, then try 30 seconds, then try one minute. Pick up coins worth the most money. Pick up coins worth an amount you specify. Pick up the most of one type of coin. Pick up the most of the type of coin worth 10 cents, the one worth 25 cents, or the one worth 5 cents. Invent your own combinations of values to have them pick up until they are really good at recognizing the different coins.   Place coins under a sheet of paper and make pencil rubbings to study the differences between different coins. You can find some fun facts about each of the coins at the U.S. Mint website “History in Your Pocket” (H.I.P.) Pocket Change (http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinNews/circulating/)   Play the “How Many Coins?” game with any coin denomination; for this example, we used pennies. How many pennies, aligned side-by-side, does it take to reach a foot? A yard? The length of your shoe? How many pennies fit into a stack one inch high? How many fit into a stack one foot high? How many pennies fit into a 1/4-cup container? A 1/2 cup? Is it twice as many as the 1/4 cup? How many pennies fit into an empty yogurt container (or other empty plastic container)? Once you determine the number of coins, can you calculate the value of the coins in the containers? What You Will Need Lot of coins (if you do not have enough loose change to play the games, stop by your bank for a variety of coin rolls) Paper; pencils or colored pencils Measuring cups and plastic containers Calculator Talk About It Can your kids better report the names and values of the coins after playing the coin games? Do they have a favorite type of coin? Can they remember whose images are on each of the U.S. coins? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1510/fun-with-coins/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1496/broken-items-%e2%80%93-accidents-do-happen/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1496/broken-items-%e2%80%93-accidents-do-happen/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:24:46 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1496

This [more...] Broken Items – Accidents Do Happen http://www.moneywizdom.com/1496/broken-items-%e2%80%93-accidents-do-happen/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Broken Items – Accidents Do Happen January 13, 2010 This week we got a great question from a reader: “What should we do if one of our kids breaks something?” We all know that with kids, things will get broken. It’s just a matter of time! So what is a parent to do? How should broken items be replaced, and who should pay for them? It is possible, and valuable, to teach and inspire your kids to take responsibility when accidents happen. We’ve got some good ways for you to start the dialog before you are get into a meltdown over a broken item in a store — or at home. When To Do Some relaxed evening or a Saturday afternoon What To Do The key to this practice is advance preparation. Once you’re all prepared, you can use accidents as opportunities to (1) teach your kids that they can learn from and make amends for mistakes, (2) help them recognize the financial consequences of their actions, and (3) build their sense of personal responsibility. Establishing the Family Rules Each family should set up rules for broken items and who is responsible. Take time to think through the possibilities and get clear on your point of view — before something happens. Here are some example rules: In our home, if anyone accidentally breaks something that belongs to someone else, the right thing to do is to make amends by offering to fix or replace the item. In our home, we will work to help whoever accidentally breaks something to be able to help pay for a replacement item.  Practice/Dialog Set up time to talk to your kids about accidents before they happen. To make it fun, consider playing the “What if?” game by asking your kids what they should do if they accidentally break something and how they’d do it. Pull together a number of items in your home ranging in value from very inexpensive to very expensive. For example: Milk glass Kitchen chair Front window (point it out, over there across the room) Music player Video game player TV Set the items on a table (if at all possible) for the review. See if the kids can guess their approximate cost — it’s OK to tell them if they are too young to know. “What if XXXX gets broken?” Discuss with them what they might pay for each of the items on the table, and how. How Much to Pay? You can negotiate with your kids on how much money would be reasonable for them to contribute to buy a new item they have broken. For young kids, consider helping them to replace the item, so their fledgling efforts at money management are not overwhelmed by trying to replace costly items all by themselves. Depending on the item, that could mean having them pay a percentage of the cost of the item (for example, if the item cost $10, you could ask your kid to pay 20% or $2), or your kid could pay one flat rate regardless of the cost. Even paying a small portion of replacement cost can be a very valuable lesson for younger kids. What You Will Need Items from around the home to practice “What if?” Websites or magazines to help kids determine the cost of items Patience Talk About It Do you kids think it is fair to have to pay for something they break? Do they know kids who already do this? Do they know other kids who do not have to — and if so, what do they think of those family rules? Does knowing they’ll need to pay something for broken items help to make them more careful? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1496/broken-items-%e2%80%93-accidents-do-happen/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1482/resolutions/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1482/resolutions/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:42:07 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1482

It’s that time of year again, [more...] Resolutions http://www.moneywizdom.com/1482/resolutions/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Resolutions December 21, 2009 It’s that time of year again, when we take a look at our lives over the past year and realize we may need to hide the chocolate a bit more cleverly, cut up the credit cards, and call friends more often. Oh, and maybe get another hour of sleep each night. But parents aren’t the only ones who can find ways to do things differently or better in the new year. Why not get the kids involved, too? Goal setting is a great way for your young ones to learn about responsibility and establishing positive new habits. Kids generally enjoy making New Year’s resolutions. Making a promise to themselves and striving to keep it can be challenging and rewarding. And there may be some benefits for you, too, if your kids learn how to keep their promises. When To Do New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day What To Do The key is to make resolutions that are realistic, positive, and achievable. You can help your kids by explaining what it takes to make a successful resolution. Consider these tips: Be realistic. Kids will, as you might expect, earnestly tell you they can give up TV or eat everything on their plate at every meal for the entire year. (Yeah, right!) With younger kids, help them choose a simple resolution that is part of daily life and within their reach in the near future (how about, say, brushing their teeth at least once a day?). For kids to feel successful, they need to experience success, so it’s best to pick resolutions with results that can be seen fairly soon. For example, you could suggest that instead of giving up TV altogether, they cut out one favorite TV program a week. Try replacing it with reading, playing outside, crafts, or another pleasurable activity.   Don’t force resolutions. You can suggest some goals for your kids, but ultimately it’s important that you allow them to choose for themselves. This will encourage them to form their own ideas about how to handle many aspects of their lives.   Write it down. Encourage your kids to write down their resolutions, embellish them if they’d like, and post them as declarations on the refrigerator or in other prominent places as a constant reminder of their goals. In fact, you can make a family 2010 resolution chart: Remind your kids every evening before bed to mark off the areas in which they followed their New Year’s resolutions. Make sure your resolutions on are the chart too! Good role modeling can go a long way.   Take small steps. Your kids might propose giving up candy or packaged snacks, but stopping cold turkey will probably fail. Suggest instead that twice a week they go for a crunchy apple instead of after-school chips.   Encourage and support. If your kids slip up and sneak in the TV show they were supposed to skip, tell them setbacks happen; don’t be discouraged, but try, try again. Some ideas that work well for elementary age kids: Picking stuff up. Kids have short attention spans and often have a difficult time picking up after themselves without being told. This is a good goal for your kids to work toward.   Helping others. If your kid’s not an only child, pitch the idea of helping siblings helping each other with everyday things.   Sharing. This is an area that is often tough for young kids. Remember to praise your kids when they do share and play nicely. Talk About It Because this is a year-long project, you can check in with your kids once a month — or oftener — to see what they think about this keeping resolutions business. Are they feeling good about what they are doing? What have they learned so far? Would they like to change anything? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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]]> http://www.moneywizdom.com/1482/resolutions/feed/ 0 http://www.moneywizdom.com/1469/revisit-the-grinch/ http://www.moneywizdom.com/1469/revisit-the-grinch/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:05 +0000 admin http://www.moneywizdom.com/?p=1469

There’s no better time [more...] Revisit the Grinch http://www.moneywizdom.com/1469/revisit-the-grinch/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Revisit the Grinch December 23, 2009 There’s no better time of year to sit with your kids and read or watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the beloved classic tale by Dr. Seuss. The Christmas-hating Grinch tries very hard (but unsuccessfully) to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville. As the story unfolds, both the citizens of Whoville and the Grinch realize that Christmas is in their hearts and not found wrapped up under the Christmas tree. The cleverly constructed rhymes teach the value of making amends for misdeeds — and gently question the commercialization of Christmas. When To Do Find an hour or two over the holiday break (there is usually a live broadcast of the animated version, but it tends to air early in December). What To Do Watch the TV or movie version and/or read the classic illustrated story with your kids. We’ve gathered basic information on the two screen versions and the book. Any one (or all three!) will give you and your family plenty of enjoyment and open the door to interesting conversation this holiday season. DVDs 1966 Version: Title: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas Released: 1966 Rated: NR Starring: Boris Karloff (narrator), Thurl Ravenscroft (singer) Duration: 29 minutes Summary: This half-hour television cartoon introduces kids to the green and mean face of the Grinch; his long-suffering dog, Max; and of course the adorable Cindy Lou Who. Your kids will be singing along to great songs like "You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." This movie version is great for a first-time introduction to the traditional tale. Talk about it: Do your kids think they act like the Whos? Why or why not? Would they enjoy Christmas as much without lots of presents? How might your family make Christmas special even without presents? 2000 Version: Title: How the Grinch Stole Christmas Released: 2000 Rated: PG; includes scenes with mild peril and some crude humor Starring: Jim Carey, Jeffrey Tambor, and Christine Baranski Duration: 105 minutes Talk about it: Do your kids think they act like the Whos? Why or why not? Would they enjoy Christmas as much without lots of presents? How might your family make Christmas special even without presents? The Book Title: How the Grinch Stole Christmas Author: Dr Seuss Illustrator: Dr Seuss Pages: 54 Released: 1957 Read aloud: ages 4 to 6; read alone: ages 6 to 8 Summary: This classic Christmas read-aloud features one of the funniest rascals in kids’ literature. The bad-tempered Grinch just plain hates the holidays — apparently because of the Yuletide hullabaloo. Kids will love hating his villainous deeds and cheering his redemption. Whimsical illustrations and witty rhymes keep kids mesmerized. The true spirit of Christmas leaps off the double-page spread of the Whos holding hands, even after all their presents and decorations have been stolen. If you notice, Dr. Seuss uses the same illustration he used at the beginning of the story to show that their spirit has not changed. Talk about it: Talk about your family traditions or customs. What traditions do your kids look forward to when the family celebrates the holidays? Would the holidays be as meaningful if they did not have some of the store-bought decorative elements? What You Will Need Movie DVD or book to share with your kids Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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You don’t have to [more...] Creative Gift Certificates http://www.moneywizdom.com/1456/creative-gift-certificates/]]>

Money Moments are short and actionable ideas for simple money training. They’re fun and fit into everyday things you are already doing with your kids.
	Creative Gift Certificates December 17 2009 You don’t have to be rich, famous, or even a grown-up to give memorable and much-appreciated gifts to those you care about. This holiday season you and your kids can talk about how gift giving is about more than how much a person spends. You can help your kids understand that there are many ways to give, but that it is important for each of us to find the way that suits us — and the recipient — best. Some will offer their time, some will offer their talent, and some will share new treasures. As we come into the home stretch this holiday season, some of the best items on your kid’s gift-giving list just might be gifts of themselves. There are fun and simple ways to help your kids decide what and how to offer of their precious time and talents as part of their gift giving this year. With a little help from you, these personal offerings can be presented and delivered as creative certificates and may just be the most memorable part of the season. When To Do Quiet evening or weekend time What To Do Sit down with your kids and their gift-giving lists. Who do they need to think up a present for? Who would especially enjoy a gift of their time or talent? Start by picking a single person, and repeat these three easy steps for as many recipients as your kids want to gift in this way. Talk about the person. Share what you both know about the person, including chores she or he needs to do regularly as well as hobbies and interests.   Ask your kid, “Is there something you could do to help [name], or something [name] would love to do with you?” Help your kids think of good ideas.   Assemble paper, markers, stickers, and such. Create fun personalized “gift certificates” that name what the gift will be. Make sure they’re lovingly signed and placed in decorated envelopes or wrapped in colorful paper. How about these ideas? Giving Mom an hour of peace and quiet Going to bed without being asked Singing six songs, on request Giving Dad a ten-minute backrub Water Aunt [name] plants while she is on vacation next summer Company on a walk around the neighborhood Helping Grandma make cookies for holiday dinner Telling a bedtime story to a younger sibling Making breakfast and cleaning up for Mom Telling three new jokes or riddles for Grandpa What You Will Need Paper, craft paper Pens Markers Stickers Glue Scissors Tape Old magazines and newspapers Talk About It What did your kids think of giving their time or talent to someone instead of buying them a gift? Did they feel as good about it as they do about giving a purchased gift? Was it even more satisfying, or less satisfying? How did it make them feel to make the coupons? What did they think was the most fun? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
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