Funny thing about me and sports… ah… I don’t do sports. Lol. It may be because I don’t have a competitive bone in my body or I’m naturally clutsy. In any case I don’t have a favourite sport to either watch or play..
My husband, on the other hand, played hockey, baseball, lacrosse, and who knows what else, growing up. I get exhausted just hearing about it. And… for a time pursued golf both as an amateur and as a professional.
I do exercise… a lot actually, because of the benefits of exercise combined with a healthy diet (no added sugar and harmful seed oils).
I do write children’s fiction and have a sports-themed series going called Tee It Up, mainly because I can take advantage of my husband’s vast knowledge of sports. 😉
“Eddie’s Story“ by Suzanne Rightley
Eddie has what it takes to be a hockey superstar but struggles with making the big career choice because of his love for golf. With the help of family, friends (old and new), Eddie discovers a lot about himself during his summer job. Good book choice for boys 12-15.
Learn more about Suzanne Rightley’s Tee It Up Series. Visit her author page to discover more children’s fiction stories available as ebooks or paperback.
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.
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.
What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?
Walking! There’s a calming that’s so relaxing and enjoyable that it’s hard to resist a brisk walk when the air is crispy fresh. (Lol, I’m a northerner. What can I say) No earbuds means no distractions… which allows my mind to wander wherever it takes me.
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