Trick Or Treat: Teens and Safety

We will take the “treats” please!  Our favorite candy this time of year?  Popcorn balls and Butterfingers.  We know you have a favorite, too.  

Right about now, all our teens are doing the same thing we did at their age - strategizing for a fun gameplan on Oct. 31^st. 

We thought long and hard about this week’s blog because we normally talk about helping other parents make the last season with their nearly-flown kids a roaring success. From preparing in high school for “life after English Class” to teen taxes, we’ve been there.  But Halloween safety and life-time payoff teaching moments?  Yes!

In point of fact, any safety guidelines we discuss here actually work no matter what the time of year or the event.  After football games, after class parties and after a group party at their best bud’s house all qualify.  Did we mention college?  Hmmm.

Also, every...

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• if you have added them as an "authorized user" on your own credit card, they might have a report in their name.  Some issuing companies report financial information for both the primary holder AND any authorized users.  You'll need to check with them.
• or their identity may have been stolen resulting...

Parents:

"Mom, can I have a credit card?"  

What a difficult decision it is to make as to whether to set your teen up with a connection to your (authorized user) credit card.  Who pays?  What is it for?  Is it to help you with family expense and ease?  

This video covers 3 power moves you will want to strongly consider if moving forward makes sense for your family.  

We think it can help you move the needle on safety, spending, and cross checks!

Have a great week.   And as we say ...

You CAN Have Success in the Middle of it ALL !

The above conversation is happening everywhere.  

But generally, what conversation is NOT happening? 

One week later the smart mom asks . . .  

 So what do...

Do your nearly-grown kids know this? from Pam Hardison on Vimeo.

Budget.  That’s right . . . budget.    Things have changed. 

Have you used that word 6-letter word “budget” lately?  Go ahead and be honest with yourself.  You probably have.  But let me make a case on why you need to stop.   Times have changed.   Consider the following:

"Budgets" are Constricting

“Mom, I need $20.”   (funny how it used to be they only asked for $10!) 

“Honey, I just gave you $20 like…yesterday.  Can’t you budget your money?”

And there it is.  That word, that horrible sinking feeling word. The implied connotation to our kids and our “almost growns” is . . .  you can’t buy the things you want, you will never have enough money, and you are a one emoji away from busted.  Life is one trick multiple question with “none of the above” always included. 

Need stats to support this? 

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Money and "stuff" are the granddaddy of all motivators.  Calling Santa . . . !

Thrill of Victory (the purchase) AND Agony of Defeat (the debt)

Movies, books, gas, electronics.  Where's that big guy in the red suit?  Well, he's not around, but those wishes for "stuff" ARE. Even if you aren't a believer in credit cards, and you prefer debit cards or cash, nearly everyone has a credit card or so it seems to your child.  They are soaking up illustration by illustration of credit cards in real time.  It's like an action movie but instead of Tom Cruise being the hero, it's a credit card.  

At JG we want things made easy.  Last lessons are sometimes difficult to teach but today you can learn how to teach DEBT in a dramatic and easy fashion.  Just an fyi, we are not against credit cards.  We ARE against credit card debt and credit card abuse.  More on that another day.

Please watch the 4 minute video if you can.  We...

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We’ve talked so much in the past about how to instill in our kids the values and motivations to be successful.  As parents we want our kids to be achievers, take responsibility, and own the world around them.  You’ve worked hard to instill in them a reliable set of practices, habits and commitments that will help carry them through to life, marriage, and maybe grandkids! 

Now comes an important task that you can't do until they are near aged 18.  

Do you remember when they first voted at their high school for class officers?  Or helped a friend run for office?  Hopefully your kids school did that.  I have to tell you that I never had the courage to run for a school office.  I was camera shy in  high school – and here I sit in front of a camera.  Who knew!  I had my finger in many pies, but just not the running for office one.  But my kids did. 

Little did I realize, but after they won...

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Times have changed.  

Math Class        - Check
History               - Check
Language Arts  - Check

But what about how to quit using excuses, how to learn confidence, how to go proactive and conquer that next achievement or goal?  

A lack of confidence encourages mental excuses

But what about how to quit using excuses, how to learn confidence, how to go proactive and conquer that next achievement or goal?  

Have you heard this at your house?

• "I don't have enough money."
• "I don't know how to do that."
• "I don't have the skills to try out for that."
• "No way will I ever learn how to do that."
• "Everyone will laugh at me. I won't be good at that."

The actual line to achieving confidence isn't what you might think.  It is learning to ask questions.  Those questions lead to knowledge.  Knowledge leads to confidence BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN ULTIMATELY FIGURE IT OUT.

But the trick we...