Capitalism for Kids

I bought this book a while back, when my kids were too young to appreciate it. They are now almost 9 and 10.5, so I am giving them an allowance bonus if they choose it for one of their weekly books. Because I work at home, my kids already have a different perspective from the kids who attend school all day. They are already asking about starting their own businesses and setting up their own websites. So having them read Capitalism for Kids by Karl Hess is step one in moving in that direction. In my opinion, ALL kids should read this book. It should be required reading in the classroom, whether at home or at school. The problem we are having in the United States is that too many children are growing up thinking they must get a job. So now we have a lot of people without jobs because of our poor economy, and people who don't know how to go out and start their own businesses. While some people believe that people are either born entrepreneurs or not, I do not believe this is true. We either learn it or we don't, and if we aren't exposed to entrepreneurship while growing up, we are less likely to view it as a viable option. This book helps both kids and adults see the value in keeping it as an option, and simplifies capitalism for kids. Get your copy today and watch your view on starting a business change as your mind expands.

Teaching Monetary Responsibility at Home

Have you heard of FamZoo.com ? It is a great program set up to help kids "earn" money from you, and spend it, save it, or give it. It is an online account that you can set up in a way that meets your family's needs. Each child has his or her own account, sort of like online banking. They can see how much they have, have saved, or jobs they can do to earn more money. I have had this idea in my head for a long time, and even set up an Excel spreadsheet years ago that was such a pain I didn't keep up with it. But this program is awesome. Now that my kids are older, they can log in and keep ME accountable as I teach them about earning, spending, and saving...all in the safety of our home before they venture out into the real world with real money and real debt. If only FamZoo could create a program for the government...

Economic Lessons

With everything going on in our economy right now and everything you are hearing on the news and in political debates, maybe you are lost. I would be, too, if I hadn't just read a very interesting book that helped me understand a little better. Coincidentally, I read this book before things got really bad, since my son was learning "Economics" on a second grade level last year. If you want to understand our economy better, or want a good way to explain it to your kids, get this book: