Can I Have Some Money?  is about raising money smart kids.   Currently the kids book series is being developed into music and television projects to help teach kids about money from a young age.  The kid friendly material is designed to put financial literacy tools directly in their hands, eyes and ears.  After all, kids learn what they live! 

Parents, educators and caregivers who enjoy Can I Have Some Money?  visit the site to buy books, download the newsletters or check out workshops for the kids, but more often than not, they wind up contacting us "to do something for the adults."  Or at a minimum, they want to include  the adults in a child - parent activity workshop based on the Can I Have Some Money?  book series. 

The credit crunch, housing crisis and bailouts have rippled through the economy, causing everyone to focus on the state of their own personal finances.   The global economy is affecting our family's quality of life and spending habits.   

When adults are facing a financial crisis, it is more important than ever to raise money savvy kids who know the value of a dollar!  Yet kids usually take money for granted -   unless we can find a way to teach them "money smarts."  The value in teaching kids about money before they get their first job or paycheck is that they have a better chance of becoming financially stable adults.  So how hard is it raise money savvy kids?  What can you do to teach good money habits when dealing with a young person who's natural inclination is to make you spend, spend, spend?  Can kids learn about money?

From a young age, children learn that having money can make them feel loved and powerful.  We give them our hard earned money to satisfy their needs (food, clothing, shelter.. all the stuff they [hopefully] take for granted).  So when it comes to kids and money, they relate money to what they want - treats candy, toys,  gum, iPods, sneakers - the things that satisfy the child.  The hard earned money you spend on them is equated with personal satisfaction.  There is well established emotional link to money and a kid's personal satisfication when they start asking, "Can I Have Some Money?"  The kids know you love them - which is why you spend money on them.  Yet, you don't want them to confuse your money with your love.  How can kids learn the value of a dollar,  and understand that your love and care is what is truly priceless!? 

Kids can also confuse money with happiness.   Watch what happens in the supermarket check-out line when young children start eyeballing the gumballs and plastic toys!  They understand that having money (and the things it can buy), can lead them to feeling good about themselves.  They also tend to feel very positively about the source of that money.  They will ask and demand, "Can I have some money?" during the entire store check-out process.    They children ask for money to get something that makes them feel good.    (Continue)

Everyone Asks "CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY?"   Reviews and Photos
Teens & Money

On the other hand, the lack of money (or the things it can buy), can leave children feeling miserable and vulnerable.  They have a negative emotional reaction.  When they ask for money and are told, "No," they feel badly about you (because they think you have an unlimited supply of money and can just go get some more of it), and they feel badly about themselves.   Then you feel guilty and might be tempted to cave in.  Most of the time, the battle is usually focused on the extra things a child wants, but not always.  Sometimes, it is just that the child is asking at a bad time.  When families face a financial crises (lay off, unemployement, medical situation, etc.),  it  affects the how money is allocated to the needs of family.   At times like this, families might not be in a position to get the things they or want, or need.  Like it or not, an emotional link between money, self-esteem and the potential source of money is generally established  in childhood. 

At first, the source of the money for children is the parent or caregiver.  As children mature and grow, the potential sources of money expand t include the jobs, employment, credit card, the bank, credit union, etc.   In the golden years, the source of money shifts away from outside sources toward whatever funds the retireee has been able to accumulate during the working years.  "Can I have some money?" is a question that is first asked in childhood, and takes a lifetime to answer! 

Looking at the current rates of household debt, pay day loans, foreclosures and poorly funded retirements, it seems that our society is not not doing a very good job of handling money.  Unless we take proactive measures within the family to counteract negative messages about money,  where does this leave our children?     They need and deserve a financial education!

Wouldn't it be great if from the beginning, children got teaching about money with the brain and the emotions in mind.  What if we taught them about money in a way that  (1) does not equate money with self-esteem;  (2) gets them to stop fighting with you about money; and (3) teaches children about third-party money [credit, loans and borrowing]  as well as growing their own money [savings, planning and investments], before they reach adulthood?  Not from an organization that is trying to "sell" a financial service, but from one that is committed to keeping the dream of financial freedom alive.  It can be done.  As they mature, here are a few areas you might want to give your kids a "heads up" on, over time, before they leave home.

If you want your family to know more about finances than "Money doesn't grow on trees!" but don't know where to get the next lesson... "CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY?" Workshops & Books are for those born with a plastic spoon in their mouths, who want to trade up for bigger and better!

CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY?  Volume 2  Price:  US $9.99 shipping & handling included.  Tax is additonal.  This is  24-page illustrated book,  introducing  kids to financial concepts like budets, savings, credit, credit cards and more!  Shows how the family functions as an economic unit.  Charming Illustrations by William Graf.  Good parent child reading activity or for family money workshops.  ISBN 978-0-9789445-0-6.  Library of Congress Control No.  2006910385

Teens today are living in a more financially sophisticated world than their parents ever did!  And they are well aware of that fact.  Any group or organization that has the purpose of empowering its members to succeed financially, must not overlook what they can do to help our young people.

When it comes to money, teens need to be stimulated to earn it, and challenged to keep it. They need to know that they CAN become financially sucessful, and need to know HOW they can do it in ways that are safe, legal and empowering.  However, to reach this crowd, it is ineffective to come off like a financial "talking head".   They want to see you getting your own results and will judge you by the level of satisfaction you receive from YOUR OWN ACTIONS.

No one wants to be "told" what to do when it comes to money.  Teens, like adults, want to help in finding out what their options are, and then receive enough support and encouragement to go home and try out for themselves.  Their own experience will teach them what does (or doesn't) work.

Teens need financial empowerment in a forum that is  fun, informative and user-friendly to be as effective as possible.   They also need time and patience.  They didn't learn to walk in one day - so their efforts at financial independence will take time and guidance.   The best way to provide this guidance is to KEEP YOURSELF ON TRACK!  They are watching!

"CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY?" is well suited for: