Wholehearted Parents
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Wholehearted Parents
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Teens and the Financial Crisis
By Jan Sullivan
With the current recession and many lay-offs that accompany it hitting our stable family lives, lives no longer are financially stable. Young people have difficulty understanding the need to cut back on their expenditures when Mom and Dad have always given them what they want.
You have given them everything because as a young person you didn't have much. Now they expect it. How do you tell your young person no when they have heard yes for so long now?
It is important to be open and honest about what is happening in the family finances. Hiding information can only lead to fights and misunderstandings. Numbers don't lie. You can show them what the income used to be and what it is now. There is no argument when truth avails.
Invite your teens into discussions about the family finances. Kids can become active members of their families financial planning. Plan family outings together and set a budget before you go. When the expenditures have been reached, the outing is over. Have teens set their own budget for the week. Encourage a savings plan.
Something else to consider is encouraging your teens to get a part time job. If they are unable because of their sports or extra-curricular activities, encourage them to sacrifice something for the good of the family. If they are unwilling, then they are already sacrificing their monetary wants.
Encourage your teens to make sacrifices for the family. It may be that sacrifice of an extra-curricular activity will help with the finances of the family. If a teen obtains a part-time job, encourage budgeting by setting aside money for tithing, saving, a contribution to the family as a whole, and wants. This will help them in the future with budgeting for their own family.
There may be anger and resentment, but discussions about these feelings are important. Remind them the whole family is going through the same feelings. Many of their friends' families are going through the same things. Invite your teens to come up with fun activities they can do with their friends that don't cost money. If your teen drives, encourage them to carpool with other drivers. There are many ways teens can help with the family finances and learn from this recession as well.
Jan Sullivan
AprilWord
Jan Sullivan received a Masters Degree in Youth Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary. She served as a youth pastor for thirteen years in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. She published her first book, Forever Family, in July of 2008 and is currently working on another. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her dog Abby and spends her time loving teenagers and consuming Christian fiction. Modeling her life after Christ, the great storyteller, Jan hopes that her stories will lead young people to make decisions to follow Christ.
jan@aprilword.com
http://www.aprilword.com
By Jan Sullivan
With the current recession and many lay-offs that accompany it hitting our stable family lives, lives no longer are financially stable. Young people have difficulty understanding the need to cut back on their expenditures when Mom and Dad have always given them what they want.
You have given them everything because as a young person you didn't have much. Now they expect it. How do you tell your young person no when they have heard yes for so long now?
It is important to be open and honest about what is happening in the family finances. Hiding information can only lead to fights and misunderstandings. Numbers don't lie. You can show them what the income used to be and what it is now. There is no argument when truth avails.
Invite your teens into discussions about the family finances. Kids can become active members of their families financial planning. Plan family outings together and set a budget before you go. When the expenditures have been reached, the outing is over. Have teens set their own budget for the week. Encourage a savings plan.
Something else to consider is encouraging your teens to get a part time job. If they are unable because of their sports or extra-curricular activities, encourage them to sacrifice something for the good of the family. If they are unwilling, then they are already sacrificing their monetary wants.
Encourage your teens to make sacrifices for the family. It may be that sacrifice of an extra-curricular activity will help with the finances of the family. If a teen obtains a part-time job, encourage budgeting by setting aside money for tithing, saving, a contribution to the family as a whole, and wants. This will help them in the future with budgeting for their own family.
There may be anger and resentment, but discussions about these feelings are important. Remind them the whole family is going through the same feelings. Many of their friends' families are going through the same things. Invite your teens to come up with fun activities they can do with their friends that don't cost money. If your teen drives, encourage them to carpool with other drivers. There are many ways teens can help with the family finances and learn from this recession as well.
Jan Sullivan
AprilWord
Jan Sullivan received a Masters Degree in Youth Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary. She served as a youth pastor for thirteen years in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. She published her first book, Forever Family, in July of 2008 and is currently working on another. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her dog Abby and spends her time loving teenagers and consuming Christian fiction. Modeling her life after Christ, the great storyteller, Jan hopes that her stories will lead young people to make decisions to follow Christ.
jan@aprilword.com
http://www.aprilword.com