Teach Your Children to Save Money

In many families money is a taboo topic, but teaching children about money is an important part of parenting. Children who learn to save at an early age have a great advantage over others who have never been taught how to manage their money. Families can learn the process of saving together and enjoy the benefits of becoming money-savvy.

Teaching the concept

The American Bankers Association Education Foundation (ABA) taught over 1 million children how to save and manage their money in 2009. The concept was such a success the ABA expanded their education efforts in 2010. They would like to see every child have the opportunity to learn how to save for their future. Experts agree that you can start teaching your children about money as soon as they understand the concept that money can buy things.

You could begin by requiring your children to save 10 per cent of any money they receive. Start by matching every dollar they save and when they are older you can decrease the amount to 25% or 50%. Introduce your children to earning an allowance early. A weekly allowance may be appropriate for early grade school children but as they get older you can move “paydays” to every other week or once a month. Have them set goals to save as much as they intend to spend and still have money in their account. Allow your children to make their spending choices. That is how they will learn to budget their money and determine if the purchase was worth the money spent.

No more bailouts

Children will make mistakes as they learn how to manage their money. If they spend all their money and don’t have enough to go out with their friends then they should miss their outing. Loaning them the $20 may make them feel better but they will have learned that you will always be there for the bailout. That is a lesson that you will regret when they’re an adult and ask you to pay off their credit card bill. Teach them that you are not their personal banker and to save for their own future.

Healthy Eating Helps ADHD

If you are a parent of an ADHD child you have probably read that the American diet of foods high in fat, salt, and processed sugar does little to help your child. In fact our “Western-style” diet gives children a higher risk of ADHD than children on a healthier diet that is rich in fish, vegetables, fruit and whole grains all of which contain a lot of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

Healthy diet

Researchers from Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago compared the recent studies of diet for ADHD children. They found that children with this diagnosis perform best on a diet that avoids dyes, preservatives and other additives.

There is no doubt that we are what we eat. The poor nutrition from the “Western-diet” has also affected young children with an increase in obesity. These foods that are full of preservatives have a parallel effect with a child’s neurodevelopment.

Natural treatment versus medication

There are 13 essential Recommended Daily Allowances of vitamins and minerals that children need for optimum health. Growing bodies need carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to develop correctly. Most American children don’t meet the proper nutrition requirements. A national survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1 in 4 teens were eating fruit less than once a day and 1 in 3 were eating vegetables less than once daily. Teens should be eating 4 to 5 cups of fruit and vegetables a day. A cup is a medium apple or a large tomato.

If your child is a picky eater a multivitamin can provide missing nutrients and minerals. Omega-3 fatty acids are needed for healthy brain development. Fish oil capsules and flax seed supplements can be used as a replacement for fresh fish or salmon. Vitamin D is naturally absorbed during outdoor activities. During the winter milk, soy and orange juice can help fortify this gap. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 200 IU of Vitamin D and 500 mg of calcium for children 1 to 3 years old. These amounts increase as they grow.

Most parents will want to try a natural treatment for their child that is diagnosed with ADHD. This should also be combined with behavioral therapy which involves positive reinforcements to help children control their impulsivity. Medications are still the single most effective treatment available for ADHD which affects 5 to 8% school-aged children. These symptoms can persist into adulthood with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Parents should pursue options that are best for their child with the understanding of the limited research to them to determine benefits and outcome.

Persevere With Your Resolutions

A New Year’s resolution is a ritual of hope that can provide us with the opportunity to evaluate progress with our life goals or personal growth. Unfortunately, many of us will try to begin a resolution on January 1st when we are still eating unhealthy and are transitioning back into our regular routine. Eighty percent of people who try and begin their resolution on January 1st will fail to follow through with it by January 31st. If the resolution is focused on health and fitness goals, 90% will have quit by January 15th.

Perseverance

Change involves sacrifice, motivation and willpower. Don’t focus on your past failures in 2012. That can overwhelm your thoughts with the negativity of debt accrued, pounds that were gained or relationships that failed. Begin by reviewing the positive aspects of your life. Think about things that you are proud of, what you are grateful for and how you have helped others in your life.

Start your resolution with small significant changes and build on each small success you experience. Set a goal to have a new experience every month this year. It can be as simple as going to a new restaurant each month, reading a book, taking a class or volunteering for a charity. Success with a simple goal will help to build confidence with a more challenging one. Reward yourself for each success. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to reach your goal as long as you continue to make progress.

Face your fears in 2013. You will become whatever your choices are, so be fearless this year. Each day you will get closer to obtaining your goal and when you begin to waiver on your resolution use your support system to help you persevere. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Eleanor Roosevelt

A New Year Brings New Opportunities

A New Year brings a time of reflection and also a vision of hope. When you review your past successes and errors it can help you determine how to move forward and create the life you envision for yourself. The possibilities are endless as long as you believe in yourself and are motivated to make the necessary changes needed.

Create the possibilities

Studies are reporting that it takes 30 days of consistency to change behavioral patterns. This is a difficult, time consuming process for some individuals. Novelist Arnold Bennett states “Any change, even change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” So if you find change difficult to handle, you are not alone. Change is the only constant that we have in life so it is better to learn how to use it to your advantage.

First30Days is an organization that has outlined several principles to overcome the obstacles of change. First, change your point of view. A positive outlook can motivate you to view the situation from different perspectives. Recognize that you are stronger than you think and that something good will usually evolve from those challenges associated with change. Accept the process of change, as resistance is usually wasted energy. Remember, that negative thoughts will hinder your progress and you are the only one that can control what you think and feel.

New Year....new opportunities

Life is a gift that we may cherish or waste. If you are unhappy with your present situation take the steps to change it. You only have control of yourself. Do not wait for your spouse, boss, children or family to change. It will never happen unless they decide to make the changes themselves. What you need to realize is that your happiness lies within yourself, not upon others. Create the life you want and the joy will follow.

Eating Healthy over the Holidays

Experts report that the majority of us will gain one to five pounds over the holiday season. This may not seem like a lot but as we continually add pounds it can accumulate over time. During the winter holidays we tend to indulge by eating our favorite foods while sitting around doing nothing to burn the calories. Many of us will justify the extra calories by promising ourselves that we will lose the extra pounds as a New Year resolution. That seems to give us permission to eat everything and anything in sight. Children have a greater challenge than adults with holiday eating as they have less impulse control when faced with tempting sweets. They don’t monitor appropriate portion size or which items might be healthy.

Healthy choices

Many of us try to determine how to have a healthier holiday without depriving ourselves of those Christmas cookies and fudge. Dieticians tell us to plan, plan, plan. Try making healthy options to take and have available at gatherings like string cheese or a fruit salad to nibble on. Give your children a healthy snack before leaving for the festivities so they won’t over indulge with sweets. If your family has a tradition of making holiday cookies, continue to make them but give some away so they are not a constant temptation for everyone.

During the holiday don’t deprive yourself of those specials treats, just monitor your portion size. Try to eat balanced meals and avoid the sweet carbohydrates when possible. Fight the temptation to hibernate and stay active. When we are active and busy we don’t have time to rummage in the cupboards.

Santa on a Budget

Playing Santa without a budget can destroy your finances for many months after the Christmas season becomes a fond memory. Many parents will struggle between wanting to make the holiday “magical” but realize the bills for January will still arrive on time. After all gifts from Santa are free and from the North Pole. What is there to worry about?

Family values

As the holiday deadlines intensify and the gift list grows longer it is difficult for Santa to find or afford the perfect gift for everyone. A practical way to look at the “wish list” is to determine the real wants and needs from impulsive desires. Some families will limit the number of gifts for each child to three since that is what Jesus Christ received from the three Wise Men. Other families will draw names or make a personal gift for each other. Another option to consider would be for Santa to give one special gift to each child and the family could exchange smaller gifts with each other.

You could start by having each child make a list of the top five gifts they would like to receive. Have them look through catalogs for ideas and discuss if the items are too expensive, too dangerous, or not a part of your family values. If they don’t meet your criteria, you can remove them from the list. You don’t have to turn into a Grinch but limit gifts to the affordable items that the family has shown they truly desire.

Move beyond money

Don’t feel obliged to buy your children everything that they want. Discuss the guidelines and give them opportunities to earn the item that Santa can’t bring so they can develop personal responsibility. Also the Christmas season can give you opportunities to teach your children the joy of giving to others. You could help them to buy a gift with their own money for a family living in a shelter or daycare of a charitable organization. They could visit elderly neighbors to assist with any chores that are difficult for them to do. The family could clean out their closets and donate gently used clothing that is too small and would be a blessing to someone in need. The measurement of a gift is not the dollar amount but the love that was given with it.

Holiday Gifts:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect. –Oren Arnold

And.....Merry Christmas to all!

Marriage with an ADHD Spouse

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 5% of the adult population. They will cope with various degrees of distractibility, disorganization, impulsivity and a lack of emotional control that can cause problems in all areas of their lives. The ADHD adult can think of several things at a time, have racing thoughts, become easily bored intermingled with a fear of failing. With these challenges to cope with the ADHD spouse can feel frustrated, unheard and unloved in the marriage.

ADHD brain

Dr. Russell Barkley clinical professor of Psychiatry at Medical University of South Carolina and author of Charge of Adult ADHD states, “The ADHD spouse is not following through on promises and often isn’t able to understand the needs of others. It’s a torrent of one-way conversations for the non-ADHD spouse. It feels like they’re raising a kid.”

Dr. Ned Hallowell who is the author of eighteen books and founder of Hallowell Centers in New York said, “Their brain is like a toddler on a picnic. It goes where curiosity and enchantment lead it with no regard to authority or danger.” Brain chemistry of the ADHD is highly inheritable. It will either under produce or not process dopamine in the attention and reward center of the brain. People with ADHD have a reduction of dopamine so things can get pretty boring for them very quickly. “Dopamine not only increases reward value but also the powers of inhibition,” Dr. Hallowell explained. The lack of inhibitions in the ADHD adult can add to the frustration and embarrassment of partners and their family members.

Treatment

About 80% of adults benefit from stimulant medication that will help to alleviate symptoms. Psychotherapy and Behavior Modification can help couples educate themselves on the on ADHD to improve their relationship. Support groups can also be helpful in coping with the stress of an ADHD relationship.

To keep the relationship strong try to depersonalize the behaviors that creates the emotional distance. Define two major areas of concern that you disagree on and focus on ways to solve those problems. Learn ways to remind your partner about appointments or chores to do without nagging them. You could suggest that they organize their day by typing appointments into their cell phone, write sticky notes or refer to a daily check list. Try to support and encourage them without trying to change them. You love the person. It is the behaviors that you need changed.