Positive Parenting of Teenagers: Helping Your Teen Understand What I Cant Afford It Means

Because most teens have not had the experience of getting to the end of the money before the end of the month, the words, ``I can't afford it,'' have little or no meaning.

Here's what can happen in lots of homes:

``Mom, can I get a new (fill in the blank)?''

``No, honey, I'm sorry, but we can't afford it.''

``But mo-mom. Everybody else has one!''

``No, we can't afford it.''

``But mo-mom, (lots of words involving hassling and bugging).''

``We can't afford it!''

Repeat this process a few times and here's what you get:

``Alright, you can have it, just this once. But don't ask for anything else!''

Yeah, right.

What the kid learns is that what "we can't afford it" really means is I just haven't bugged and hassled enough.

Here's a very concrete way to teach kids about money, where it all goes, and what ``we can't afford it'' really means.

This one can work for kids middle-school age and above.

Parents, take your next paycheck to the bank and have it cashed in all one dollar bills. (The bank tellers are going to just love me!) Bring it home and call a family meeting. On the kitchen table, make a pile of all the ones. Then separate all the household bills into their own separate pile. For each bill, (house payment, car payment, braces, health insurance, electric bill, etc.) count out the one dollar bills and place them in the appropriate pile.

In this way, kids get to see a very clear visual picture of where the money goes. It gives them a context for understanding "we can't afford that right now."

All of these suggestions and techniques serve to teach teens about the successful management of money in their lives. Come to think of it, these suggestions could be useful for grown-ups as well.

Visit ParentingYourTeenager.com for tips and tools for thriving during the teen years. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 5 day e-program on The Top 5 Things to Never Say to Your Teenager, from parenting coach and expert Jeff Herring.

---

Old-Fashioned Ways to Inspire Children

"Walk through any toy store and you will see walls... Read More

Finding Out Your Child Has a Disability: Its Not the end of the World

Finding out that a child has been born with a... Read More

Creating Great Birthday Party Videos

My son recently had his third birthday party and it... Read More

10 Ways You Can Advocate For Your Child With A Learning Disability

Did you know that you are the most important person... Read More

Resilient, Confident Kids - 10 Ways to Promote Resilience in Children

Do your children have a McChildhood? Do they experience the... Read More

What is Incest?

Incest is sexual activity, ranging from fondling to intercourse, between... Read More

Coping with the Stress of Moving Home and Childrens Concerns

Moving house can be an emotional experience for adults, so... Read More

Home For The Holidays: Avoid Aging Parents Becoming A Burden

By not planning for the future we guarantee that we... Read More

10 Steps To Prepare You For Life With Children

It's hard to explain to the uninitiated the changes that... Read More

The Seven Keys to Child Obedience

Learning obedience is an important part of child development. This... Read More

Baby Name Meanings

Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning "Who is... Read More

Friendships - Helping Children Develop Friendship Skills

Reasearch into children's friendships shows that those children who are... Read More

Public School Sex-Education Classes --- Bad News For Parents and Children

One of parents' most important duties is to protect their... Read More

Diet Sodas And How They Can Affect Kids

Many of us have grown up drinking caffeinated diet sodas... Read More

Healthy Eating Alone Is Not The Answer

Along with eating healthier we need to be more active.... Read More

Childhood Obesity

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith has said that more people die... Read More

Can Mineral Deficiencies Lead to Behavioral Problems in Children?

A while ago I received this story from David in... Read More

Picky Eater Kid Nutritional Guidelines

Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in... Read More

Discipline

Discipline is a necessary part of parenting yet it makes... Read More

Create Your Dream Family

There has been much attention in the media of late... Read More

Aptitude, Achievement, Processing Deficit - What Does It All Mean?

You are sitting with the professionals who know about learning... Read More

Parenting Your Teenager: The Trust Issue

Q. How do we decide what our teens should be... Read More

Banishing Bedtime Blues

"My son won't go to bed at night without a... Read More

Teacher Tips: Your Room Set-Up and ADHD Students

Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate... Read More

Top Ten Things My Six Year-Old Son Has Taught Me (So Far...)

I've learned numerous, important lessons on life, motherhood and men... Read More

Thriving As A Family When You Live In The Fast lane

It is extraordinary times that we find ourselves in. Change... Read More

Summer Marks the Time to Remember Active Supervision Around Family Swimming Pools

LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More

How To Entertain A Child While Working From A Home Office

There is no doubt that the benefits of being a... Read More

Visiting the Library

Libraries offer more than books. They are places of learning... Read More

A Minute Can Turn into Hours for the Child of a Work-at-Home Mom

In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But... Read More

The Most Innovative New Approach for ADHD, a Natural Remedy

What's new and effective in the treatment of Attention problems?... Read More

The Challenges of Single Parenting

Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and... Read More

A Child Can Make a Difference

Sometimes dreams really can come true! May 8th - 11th,... Read More