Are Your Kids Money-Savvy?

Fifty percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce. And money is amongst the top five reasons for divorce in our nation.

My husband and I both come from divorced parents who, like so many couples, argued about money. We wanted to do things differently so we decided to go to financial counseling before getting married in 2001. We decided to take the preemptive attack on the issue of money before the checking accounts, income and debt were merged. Thanks to my mom we found an amazing counselor who charged us about $150 for a one hour consultation and we began seeing him once a week. The process was amazing and I recommend it to anyone planning to get married or already married.  

After seeing our counselor David, once a week for about two months he told us we were doing great and we decreased our visits to twice a month and later to once a month. After about a year he told us we were ready and though we begged him, he wouldn't take our money any more. 

Because of David's teachings and help we were able to pay off almost $100,000 of debt we had both accumulated before getting married, in less than three years. Most importantly, we are financially healthy. Money is not something that we have ever fought about. It's not an issue in our home and going on 11 years of marriage, I believe it's a huge feat. 

We want our children, Camila and Mateo, to get off on the right foot way before marriage. We don't want them to owe $100,000 by they time they're 24-years-old like we did. Teaching them about money is important to us and something we started doing last year when they were three and two-years-old. We got them interested by giving them coins and having grandparents and aunts give them coins every once in a while to save up for a toy. Once they bought a couple of small things I started taking them to Target and the Disney Store to "shop" for their next goal. I also bought them piggy banks made by Money Savvy Generation, which are awesome because they are separated into four different sections: Save, Spend, Donate, Invest. The piggy banks are see-through so our kids can see how much they're accumulating and once a section is full we empty it, count it, give them dollar bills and take them to the store if they want to buy something. 

This little piggy is helping us teach our children what my husband and I had to pay $150 an hour to learn at the age of 24. No wonder it has won the Parent's Choice Gold Award!

Once we had the piggy banks, my husband and I explained to our children that they would not be getting toys except for birthdays and holidays from us and that if they wanted to buy something they could save up for it. 

We give them a coin for going to bed quietly (they share a room and have in the past stayed up talking until midnight!) and for taking a nap. They get a sticker and a coin for each night they go to sleep quietly and when they have 6 stickers in one week, they get a dollar. (I up the price when we're on vacation $1 per night, $1 per nap, $2 per 6 stickers). 

We also talked to them about the sections that are not so clear to a little one's mind. For example, we tell them about how exciting it is to go to University and learn many things, about giving money to people who don't have any to buy food and about setting up a business like grandma. 

I have been absolutely amazed by their level of understanding, maturity and self-control! Some of their purchases have included a $40 Lightning McQueen race track, a $35 Buzz Light Year, a $35 doll, a $21 Dinosaur, four $16 stuffed animals. We visit the stores often and they see many toys they want, but they both keep their eye on their goal and the pride on their little faces when they're handing the money over to the cashier is absolutely priceless! They know they've earned the money and they feel so empowered by getting to choose what to buy with it! 

At the beginning they were saving most of their money for toys but we've been talking about having a bunch of toys and nothing else, and again they've surprised me with their level of understanding. When grandma gave them each a roll of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters recently, they each, without our coaxing, split the money up pretty evenly amongst the four different sections. They each put a little more money in the "Donate" section because we saw a commercial about children with cleft lip. We are now saving $240 as a family to pay for a child's surgery, based on their request. 

I told them once they have $100 in the "Save" section which is for college, they will get to open a bank account like mommy and daddy! 

Between the two of them they have about $40 saved up in the "Invest" section but I haven't come up with any ideas of what type of "business" they could set up. Any ideas? Please post them in the comments section for us! 

I am so proud of my kids and it brings me joy and peace of mind to know they're on the right road to success and financial well-being! 

I would love to find out what you're teaching your kids about money too. Please share ideas and exercises that have worked for your family! 

Money Savvy Pig (piggy bank) link: http://www.msgen.com/assembled/money_savvy_pig.html

When Nature Calls

One of the perks (or not) of being a mom is the right (or need) to talk about all things poop related. Even the dinner table loses its sacredness when you're sitting around with a group of mom friends and need advice on how to stop a child with loose-stools, or more commonly, how to prevent constipation. I can't think of any other forum where I would write about a potty!

But here I am, a mom, and so I share with you the Potette Plus! A travel potty that can be used for kids potty-training and for any other child who has to "go" when on a long trip or in a neighborhood with no clean bathrooms. 

This potty has foldable legs so you can set it up like a little chair (a self-absorbent baggie fits perfectly and prevents a wet mess). When my daughter had just finished potty training she was afraid to poop on public toilets because she felt like she would fall in. The Potette Plus allows you to open the legs so that it is suspended in the middle of toilet and your child can feel safe and use the legs as handles and to strain. 

I recommend this portable potty to all parents... I also recommend it to anyone with a small bladder like mine because if you're ever in San Francisco on the night of the 4th of July, stuck in traffic in a residential neighborhood for an hour and a half, and you finally reach a parking lot that is very full but dark enough to hide in and you have a minivan which bless the Lord has enough standing room to stoop and pull your pants down, and manage to squat close enough to that potty and realize how very sweet the sound of pee going into a plastic baggie really is... you'll be so, so glad you have kids and an excuse to have that little travel potty in your car! 

Product link: http://www.amazon.com/Kalencom-POTETTE-Go-Potty-Red/dp/B00069BV8A

Baby's Schedule

I'm excited -- this is my first reader-requested blog! After reading my July 29 entry, "What Would You Do," one reader asked if I could share ideas for a baby's schedule. 

I am by nature a person who loves routines; getting up at the same time, eating the same breakfast, doing things in a particular order... very methodical. So when I became a mom, I tried to get my daughter Camila on a schedule as soon as possible.

The key to getting a child on a schedule is consistency. If I'm not willing to do the same things every day, get my child to bed at the same time for naps and bedtime every day, she won't be able to follow a schedule. A schedule is sacrifice but the payout is big.

Here is what our day looked like before Camila turned one-year-old...

7:00 a.m. Baby woke up (I was awake earlier. Showered and ready to go by the time Camila woke up)

                

7:15 a.m. Feed Camila

7:30 a.m. Floor exercises - I stretched her legs, put her on her belly, moved her little arms around.  (Bragging right -- by three months my little Tarzan baby girl could come to a standing position by pulling herself up by my two index fingers!) 

8:00 a.m. Dance time! 

8:20 a.m. Reading time! Even as a little baby Camila loved to listen to me read and would fix her eyes on brightly colored books. It's never too early to start reading to children! 

8:45 a.m. Change baby, ready room for nap. 

9:00 a.m. Bottle and nap time. 

11:00 a.m. Wake up from nap, change and feed baby.

11:15 a.m. Playing on the floor in her little floor gym. 

12:00 p.m. Read a book or two while pointing to pictures and asking her questions about the book. (I loved listening to her babbling responses!)  

12:30 p.m. Time for a walk around the neighborhood! 

1:00 p.m. Change baby, listen to music and play on the floor with her. 

1:15 p.m.  Nap time again! 

3:15 p.m. Wake from nap, change baby, give her a bottle. 

3:45 p.m. Park time or play date

4:30 p.m. Head home

4:45 p.m. Change baby, give her a bottle.

5:00 p.m. Nap time again! 

6:30 p.m. Wake up, change, give her a bottle. 

7:00 p.m. Tummy time. 

7:15 p.m. Ready the bath, bathe her and let her play in the water a little.

7:45 p.m. Dress, read a book.

8:15 p.m. Ready the room and baby for bedtime. Give her a bottle and sing to her. 

8:30 p.m. Bedtime. 

10:30 p.m. Bottle. (She drank a bottle every two hours through the night). 

I was very blessed to have a baby who took three naps a day for a long time, because I was pregnant with my son and so, so tired all the time! But Camila only drank two ounces of milk at a time and fed every two hours around the clock until she was 7 months old! Her pediatrician told me I couldn't stop feeding her at night because she was a thin (though healthy) baby, but when she was seven months old (and I was five months pregnant) I couldn't take it anymore. We let her cry it out through the night for two nights and she started sleeping 12 to 13 hours straight. Ahhhh. She also started eating more during the day and was eating solids by that point, so her she didn't lose weight or anything. 

As she got older, we went out a lot more, usually had a park play date in the morning and stayed home in the afternoons, reading, dancing, and singing. But our schedule was pretty much the same until her brother was born when she was 11 months old. After she turned one, I started implementing art projects into our day; finger paints, regular (washable!) paint, Play-Doh, and she started taking swimming lessons (my husband and I agree it's a crucial skill for all ages). I also cut out pictures from magazines and let her make collages or just rip them (babies love to rip paper!). 

Some of my family and friends thought (or think) I was crazy and inflexible because her schedule was and is my religion, but that schedule keeps me happy and sane. I know when she is doing what, and most importantly, I know when she was going to sleep at night and I get to have a little bit of downtime with my husband or by myself. That makes me a happy mommy and a happy mommy makes happy babies.

How to Talk & Listen

How to Talk & Listen

I love being a mom and treat my job like a corporate position. As such, I love taking courses and attending talks as ongoing education if you will.

This book, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish, has been mentioned by at least three different speakers covering different topics regarding the raising of children. Hearing about it so much, and reading the title a number of times in articles about parenting, I couldn't resist buying it.

The title is long, but really, it's what I, as a mom of two preschoolers, wants to do; talk in a way that they will listen and listen in a way so they'll talk to me now and in their teen years, when kids tend to basically go mute and only utter monosyllabic responses.

I'm currently on chapter three and so far, I want to embody this book! I want my kids to read it one day when they're adults and to ask themselves "Did my mom write this book?"

The authors suggest the reader treat the book like a workbook, filling in blanks and answering questions. I haven't done this -- I'm lucky to have time to read! But I love the way it's written and you'd think I'd be tired of reading illustrated books, but I really, really like the cartoons that help me visualize and imagine how a scenario would normally go and how they would ideally go. I also enjoy reading about other parents' challenges, trials and successes.

I love reading mysteries, who-done-it's, and just plain humor, but once I start reading this book at night it's difficult for me put it down! Especially after implementing some of the ideas presented by Faber and Mazlish. I've got to say that every single technique has worked! So I'll keep on reading and becoming a better listener and talker.

Dinner in 10 Minutes Flat!

I've got to share this product with you! Holy smokes it's delicious! I've been to my share of Mexican restaurants and taquerias, but these carnitas are absolutely better than any other carnitas I've tasted before!

I have had homemade carnitas at a Mexican friend's house and Del Real has really done a great job of making theirs taste authentic.

These carnitas are juicy, tender and have just the right amount of seasoning and flavor!

Aside from the delicious taste, my favorite thing about this for dinner is that all I have to do is microwave the fully cooked pork for 8 minutes! (Once hot, let stand for 2 minutes)

My favorite way eat this? With arepas, the traditional Venezuelan "tortilla" or "bread."

If you want make arepas you can! Just get some Harina P.A.N., (I prefer the white over the yellow) and follow the instructions on the bag. (I add a little oil to make the dough a little softer).

I know you'll love this meal! Mmm! Enjoy!


Product links:
http://www.delrealfoods.com/product_pages/carnitas.htm (Costco carries Del Real Foods products).

http://www.mylatinfood.com/uno.php?k=4&i=HAR001&p=1&c=10 (I'm generally able to find Harina P.A.N. at Mexican markets).

How Much Do They Really Need to Eat?

Like most moms of toddlers, I struggled to get my children to eat at one point. But as I shared in my July 21 entry, once I changed my approach to getting them to eat (and basically stopped trying to get them to eat), they started eating. Faking lack of interest in whether or not they ate was more than a little difficult at first, but I found a food guide that helped put me at ease.

What I learned really surprised me. Take a look at what is recommended for a child to eat every day: 

Children 1-3 years old need...

6-10 of these choices: 

1/2 slice bread/tortilla/roll

1/2 pancake/waffle

1/4 bagel

1/2 cup cereal

1/4 cup cooked cereal

1/4 cup noodles/rice

3 small crackers

They also need: 

1-1.5 cups cooked or raw veggies

1-1.5 cups fresh/canned/frozen fruit

(Limit 100% fruit juice to 4 ounces a day)  

And 4 of these choices: 

1/2 cup milk/yogurt (whole milk up to age 2)

1 cup cottage cheese

3/4 ounces of cheese

1/2 cup pudding/custard

3/4 cup frozen yogurt

3/4 cup ice cream 

As well as 2-4 of these choices:

1 ounce meat/chicken/turkey/fish

1 egg

1/4 cup beans/peas/lentils

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/4 cup tofu

One ounce is 2 tablespoons! When I read this I literally ran to the kitchen and measured out two tablespoons of chicken and realized it's a tiny amount of food -- faking disintrest had just gotten much easier for me! 

Children 4-5 years old need...

4-5 of these choices: 

1 slice of bread/tortilla/roll

1 pancake/waffle

1/2 bagel

1 cup of cereal

1/4 cup of noodles/rice

6 small crackers

They also need:

1.5-2 cups of cooked or raw vegetables

1-1.5 cups of fresh/canned/frozen fruit 

(limit 100% fruit juice to 6 ounces per day)

As well as 3-4 of these choices:

3/4 cup milk/yogurt

1 cup cottage cheese

1 ounce of cheese

3/4 cup of pudding/custard

1 cup frozen yogurt

1 cup ice cream

And 3-5 of these choices:

1 ounce meat/chicken/turkey/fish

1 egg

1/4 cup beans/peas/lentils

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/4 cup tofu

1/2 ounce nuts/seeds

I love that the necessary foods are listed as "choices" because letting them choose is what really empowers children and leads them to eat. Recently my son, practically a vegetarian by choice, has stopped eating many of the veggies he normally eats. When I start panicking and thinking "he's not eating enough vegetables!", I remind myself that he doesn't actually need to eat all of these choices every single day. It's my job to offer him and his sister all of these foods, but I have to look at the big picture; did they eat enough vegetables, fruits or whatever this week, not on Monday or Wednesday. My goal is to help them become life-long healthy eaters and I'm glad I found these guidelines because as much as I want them to eat well, I don't want them to overeat.  

6 small crackers, 1 cup of fruit, 1 pancake -- these are not large amounts of food! What matters most I think is to offer food throughout the day at specific mealtimes (no grazing or nonstop snacking!) Children in these age groups should eat three meals and two to three snacks a day.

I have found that actually writing down what my kids eat really helps me see how balanced or unbalanced their diet is and to course correct. 

So, how much do they really need to eat? Not that much. 

*I got these guidelines from www.mypyramid.gov last year but when I visited the web site to post a link here, I found that it's no longer available. I imagine they're revamping everything to match the new "My Plate" campaign. 

*Please e-mail me at themommystreetjournal@gmail.com to let me know if you'd like the printable version of the food guide which also includes recommendations for women. 

Sound Sleep

I have a problem. A sad, sad problem that affects my everyday life... I'm a super light sleeper. Everything wakes me up; a drawer opening, a car door closing, someone sneezing, a clock ticking, a bird chirping. I have actually uttered the words "Stop breathing!" To my husband because even that wakes me up at times. Seriously!

But years ago I found this beauty...

Brookstone calls it Sleep Sound Therapy. I call it My Dream Machine. It's essentially a miracle made by mankind to help people like me sleep through the night. This little wonder offers, according to Brookstone's website, "seven clinically engineered sounds developed by the Center of Neuroacoustic Research." Center of Neuroacoustic Research, I love you! 


I've cycled through the different sounds; thunder, unwind, stream, but for me, the ultimate sound is "white noise." Ah, how I love that sssshhhhhhh sound in my head all night! It makes my brain feel fuzzy and warm and the sleep just comes and suddenly I don't hear crickets chirping, car alarms going off, dogs barking, and my husband can breath. 


I also love this little box because it lets me set a 30, 60 or 90 minute timer for nap time. Yes, my nap time -- I listen to the advice "sleep when your kids do." The sound tapers off slowly so that I wake up gently instead of jumping out of bed with my heart pounding like I do when my alarm goes off. 


My kids have been sleeping with this machine turned on since they were babies and I don't have to worry so much about them getting woken up by outside noise. 


For me, two things would make this product better. First, a timer that would let me set it for night sleep, so I could wake up gently every morning, not just at nap time. Second, the option "car sound," because I love, love, love to fall asleep in a moving car. 


Two decades of research went into making this puppy so don't knock the $129 price tag on it until you've slept a night with it on your nightstand. I guarantee you won't want to return it. Really, I would pay double that amount a week just to get some uninterrupted sleep. Plus I've had my dream machine for years without any problems. 


If you're looking for a way to sleep soundly, I highly recommend this product! 


Product link:
http://www.brookstone.com/tranquil-moments-sound-machines-for-sleep?bkiid=SearchResults|CategoryProductList|596841p