Use the Recession to Your Benefit

So much is happening right now. All the news we hear is bad. People are frightened. Parents don't know what to tell their kids. Jobs are being lost or income decreased. It is a mess.

But what if you could see a bright side to this dilema? What if something good could come out of it for your family? As parents, I believe this is where we need to focus right now. What are some ways we can do this?

• Maybe you have lost your job or taken a pay cut and are living on less income. Discuss with your kids the difference between NEEDS and WANTS. Make lists of what you need in order for your family to survive and make lists of what you want. Maybe each person could make a list, then compare them to the others. It is a great teaching opportunity for parents.
• Have each person go through their closet and pull out clothes, shoes, and accessories that you no longer use or like. Make it a family project to help someone less fortunate than you. Many people are without jobs right now and need some help. This is a simple way to teach your kids to think of the needs of others. It will make them feel good about themselves.
• As you set up your family budget for the month, share it with your older kids. Let them see where the money goes--how much for food, mortgage, utilities, and so forth. They will be surprised. You will find that the kids will come to you less often for money and will understand why you cannot give them all the things you could before.
• Help your children set up their budgets to live within their means, either with their allowances or from money earned from working. Some money should be set aside to save, even with the youngest ones. In this way, saving becomes a habit and continues into adulthood. They will thank you for it many times over when they are older. (That is one of the problems with good parenting...delayed gratification instead of instant.)
• With less spending money, get creative with entertainment. Instead of a fancy spring break vacation, maybe a few days hiking and camping in the woods. Sitting around a campfire at night is so great for talking and sharing. Find things to do that create family closeness--like card games and board games. There may be some grumbling at first, but soon they will see that it is actually FUN to hang with mom and dad--that maybe you are kind of cool.
• Make a game of trying to find fun things to do. Let each child make a suggestion and do it. At the end of a month or a week, everyone in the family can vote on what was the most fun. The winner gets a prize--a new video game, a gift certificate to a favorite store, the options are endless.

Okay, I have started you off...now it is your turn. Let me know what other things you can do to teach positive thinking to your children rather than doom and gloom. Remember, what we focus on is what we get in life. Zig Ziglar once said, "Whereever you are in life, you made an appointment to be there." That stuck with me. Believe good things are coming, and they will.

Now, turn off the news, get going, go have some fun with the kids!