Author: Suzanne

Suzanne writes children’s fiction. Her stories span mystery, sports, and career themes, but her deepest passion lies in inspiring kids to make healthy choices. With childhood diseases on the rise, she’s focused her storytelling on wellness, fitness, and nutrition—creating characters who model vibrant, health-conscious living. Suzanne lives in Alberta.
Budgeting: A Parent’s Opportunity to Shine
Money Management · Parenting · Responsible Parents

Budgeting: A Parent’s Opportunity to Shine

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Write about your approach to budgeting.

My approach is simple. If there’s something you want and if you have the money and if it’s something necessary then…yes, go ahead and fit it into the budget. Otherwise…

“The best and surest way to save money is… Don’t Spend!”

A tried and proven method…LOL

Back on topic: Why is this a parenting moment?

Helping children develop vital life skills is an important aspect of parenting. No argument. Money management should be included on a parent’s To Do List.

Why? Answer: Kids will benefit, throughout the course of their lives, if they grasp the basic concepts of budgeting early in life.

The discussion…

The finer points of budgeting by example: Obviously food is kind of necessary so it needs a consistent, fixed spot on The Budget. However, even “food” is too broad a term when it comes to budgeting.

Things to consider…

  • Nutrition and real food
  • Pantry staples necessary for home cooked meals
  • Junk food (ah, not on my list but for some it’s a necessity, go figure)
  • Special occasions

If a necessity such as food must be evaluated…then think about how crucial it is to prioritize everything else.

Consider that many things can’t be eliminated, adjusted, or even tweaked from the budget.

  • Such expenses could be your rent/mortgage, car payments, heating, and etc.
  • These costs must have a fixed place

Then there’s the dreaded credit cards and credit card debt. Ugh!

Simply don’t go there, unless it’s an emergency. “To save and/or to stick to The Budget = No unnecessary spending on credit!”

  • By design, borrowing, via credit, is for emergencies but somehow we’ve taken it to the point of necessity… the “got to have it” mentality, which has nothing to do with emergencies.

The reality is a budget is just that “reality”!

Therefore, budgeting affords us the opportunity to live within our means.

This is a valuable life skill children should learn early in life. It is never too late to wean them off of the false notion that they should be entitled to “whatever they want” by their sheer existence alone.

Babies begin life believing everything belongs to them but it doesn’t take long, along their life’s journey, to realize that just isn’t so.

Confident in knowing they can control their spending habits!

Helping children adapt to that reality is something they can learn to appreciate if, we… parents, teachers, grandparents, and other significant adults, gift them with the knowledge of how to live within their means via the long-standing, proven methods of budgeting.

Suzanne Rightley is an author of children’s fiction. Health-awareness, Mystery, Detective, and Sports-themed Series are among her most popular books.

Visit her official website or author page to discover what the child/children, you know and love, can learn through the friendly, often humorous aspects of fiction.

Mis and Dis of Information
Free Speech · Freedom of Expression · Opinions

Mis and Dis of Information

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Accusations of ‘misinformation and disinformation’ have taken over ‘whenever and wherever’ opinions are bantered about. If it sounds silly… it’s because it is. However, ‘silly’ is too mild a word considering the devastating effects and impact these accusations produce.

Nonetheless, regardless of damaging outcomes, the mis and dis on the information spectrum has hit centre stage and… it affects all our lives, in place after place, throughout the world.

The finger pointing has become relentless.

Moreover, the spotlight seems firmly fixed under the broad topic of life choices. Somehow, some may say, miraculously, many of us have become overnight experts, often in the absence of proof. But, hey…

“Let’s not get confused by the facts. Please!”

And of course, as with any great stage performance, a bit of truth often merges with the fiction, in order to deliberately capture our attention, often prompting a ‘call to action’… literally or figuratively speaking.

As it turns out, mis and disinformation aren’t only playing themselves out before our very eyes, as the unsuspecting viewing audience to the theatrics, but we’ve become participants…members of the cast.

Pointing the finger at “the other side” of an argument has never been easier. (Think Twitter!) What is lacking is reasonable debate.

Accusations prevent actual information from coming to light.

The necessity to speak candidly and freely with one another has never been greater.

To Do…

  • Take the time to listen to someone else’s thoughts, opinions, ideas, facts, data, feelings, and etc.
  • We can, and do, learn from others.
  • Keep an open mind.
  • Hear all sides before making an informed decision.

Simply screaming ‘misinformation or disinformation’ is not doing anyone any justice. We owe it to ourselves, and our children, to gather actual information; there’s plenty that is readily available.

Taking someone else’s accusation of ‘mis and disinformation’ doesn’t cut it any more, if it ever did. Let’s endeavour to do our own homework and separate the accusations from the actual facts.

Future generations deserve honesty and integrity from us.

If healthy debate is required – let’s engage in that conversation!

Suzanne Rightley is an author of children’s fiction. Her books can be found listed on her author page or visit her website at suzannerightley.com

“Do As I Say, Not As I Do”
Character Development · Parent and child relationships · Responsible Parents

“Do As I Say, Not As I Do”

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Whoever first coined the phrase “Do as I say, not as I do!” undoubtedly had good intentions but let’s face it, when it comes to raising children, intentions don’t count for much, at least not “for the long haul”. (Yet another old adage; the English language abounds with them.)

For instance: It may have been an expression used by a smoker, who did not want their child to pick up their bad habit, whatever the reason, the phrase has been around for a long, long time and can be applied to many situations. Gossip, back-biting, slander, cursing at other motorists, shoving someone to get to the front of the line, throwing something at the wall, and so forth – really the list can be a long one.

Question: Will this worn out expression… “Do as I say, not as I do!” nurture children, during their formative years, under the aforementioned displays of frustration, anger, etc.?

Answer: Ah… Not much.

Why?

Much of a child’s behaviour is learned by the examples they witness repeated before them. Words help but “Actions speak louder than words!” (Yep, another one.)

Children Learn by Experience

Digressing for a moment: Experience may be the way children learn, however it might not always be the safest. Overindulging in alcohol, experimenting with drugs, and promiscuity are a few examples of life’s experiences we’d like to prevent our children from “Learning the hard way!” (I won’t say it…lol)

Furthermore: How is it that we can easily forgive ourselves, make excuses, and expect our bad behaviour to be tolerated but then… turn around and criticize a child for mimicking the same behaviour? Ludicrous. Right?

Children Learn by What They Have Seen and Heard

That is why it is so very important for adults (parents, teachers, neighbours, shoppers, motorists, etc.) to set the right form of behaviour.

It’s not always easy but it is our responsibility.

Suzanne Rightley is an author of children’s fiction. For a list of her books visit Suzanne Rightley.