A dear friend sent me the following email this morning. It is about Pre-K and the bus. The email is self-explanatory, and to my delight I found an interesting financial lesson in it!
Which way is the bus traveling?
| “From watching the popular t.v. program I already knew I was dumber than the fifth graders…but now it’s the preschoolers.
A PRE-SCHOOL TEST FOR YOU Which way is the bus below traveling? To the left or to the right? Can’t make up your mind? Look carefully at the picture again. Still don’t know? Pre-schoolers all over the United States were shown this picture and asked the same question.
“The bus is traveling to the left.” When asked, “Why do you think the bus is traveling to the left?” They answered:
I know, me too” |
This is where the email ended.
I do not know the name of the author of the above and would like to give proper credit to this thought provoking piece. If any readers are familiar with it, please forward the author info so that the proper credit can be given.
I read the email and laughed, then thought of how this pre-K question applies to my core mission – financial literacy for kids and the families that love them. I think this bus has everything to do with parenting, money and raising money savvy kids.
Here is my take- away (drum roll please)
If you don’t know how to get ON the bus, you might end up UNDER the bus.
Financially speaking, if you don’t know how to use money, you might never have money to use. So many of the parents I meet have some form of financial regret. People generally feel, the coulda, woulda, shoulda done more better different , when it comes to their finances. We seem to suffer either the pain of change, or the pain of regret. Parents frequently ask how they can avoid money problems for their kids.
From an early age, children can learn the language of money. What money, where it comes from, how it gets bigger and perhaps most importantly, how to use it.
Money is first and foremost a family matter, and children learn about money at home and usually from their parents. But if you don’t know what to do about money, how can you raise financially savvy kids. Fortunately, you can learn what you don’t know and learn it with your kids. Parents that stabilize themselves can model good financial behavior for their children.
A financial self-starter reading list follows below, please add your own suggestions to the list, it is by no means comprehensive and we can share a wealth of information (pun intended).
The road to a better financial life starts with knowing how to get on the bus.
Candi Sparks is the author of children’s books about money “Can I Have Some Money?”. Educating Children About Money, Max Gets It!, Nacho Money and other titles. She is the Brooklyn mother of two and is on Facebook and Twitter (Candi Sparks, author).
Please add to this list:
Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom 2nd Edition by Lynette Khalfani-Cox
Can I Retire?: How Much Money You Need to Retire and How to Manage Your Retirement Savings, Explained in 100 Pages or Less by Mike Piper
How to Speak Money: The Language and Knowledge You Need Now by Ali Veshi and Christine Romans
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! By Robert Kiyosaki with Sharon Lechter, CPA
Max Gets It! (Vol. 3 Can I Have Some Money?” by Candi Sparks
Candisparks's Blog 