You remember experiences, connections. Not stuff. Don’t get too caught up in stuff.

12, 15, 17, 21

Finances  

Let the best part of yourself take the lead when you’re making decisions.

10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21

Family & Home   Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Sports, Health, Safety & Appearance   Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Faith & Philosophy   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career  

You can change your approach without changing your vision. Stay flexible. Things rarely go how we expect them to.

15, 19, 21

Family & Home   Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Sports, Health, Safety & Appearance   Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Science, Technology, Skills & General Knowledge   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Faith & Philosophy   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career  

Keep going. It’s never, NEVER hopeless.

14, 16, 18, 19, 21

Family & Home   Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Sports, Health, Safety & Appearance   Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Science, Technology, Skills & General Knowledge   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Faith & Philosophy   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career  

Begin planning trip for 10th bday. Maybe to Atlantis in Bahamas or someplace he’d be excited about._____Get him involved in planning and saving.

8

Finances  

Watch the local news together.

12

Family & Home   Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Finances   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism  

Try not to confuse excess with quality. It’s okay not to have the biggest house on the block. It’s okay not to drive the fanciest car.

21

Family & Home   Finances  

There is a cost and a duty to everything we own. Rachel Maddow

16

Family & Home   Finances  

Consider the costs of inaction.

12, 15, 18, 21

Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Sports, Health, Safety & Appearance   Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career  

Have a charity lemonade stand. Pediatric cancer research, immigrant children, etc. Lots of problems...Let them be involved in part of the solution.

7-10

Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Finances   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism  

Have a yearly “review” right before school year. Raise allowance as appropriate. If they want more money, they’ll have to take on more responsibilities.

7-17

Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Finances  

1

Don’t waste big money on little things. Be intentional about what you spend.

16, 21

Finances  

Read biographies!

12. 14, 17. 19, 21

Family & Home   Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Sports, Health, Safety & Appearance   Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Science, Technology, Skills & General Knowledge   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Faith & Philosophy   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career  

IMPORTANT: If you borrow money from someone pay it back as soon as possible. In full. If you borrow an item, return it in excellent condition. I’d say if you borrow a car, return it with a full tank of gas but hopefully by the time you’re driving there won’t be any combustible engines. So return it fully charged!

12, 14, 16, 21

Finances  

“Pay yourself first” means save before you spend. You never know when you’ll need to tap into savings, so build it up early and heartily.

18

Finances  

Read "You Can’t buy a Dinosaur with a Dime" by Harriet Ziefert. Teaches kids about earning money through work, making choices, even paying taxes!

9

Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Finances  

“It takes about 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett

12, 14, 16, 19, 21

Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Science, Technology, Skills & General Knowledge   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Faith & Philosophy   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career  

Throw leftovers and some cut up veggies in an omelette/ frittata. Cuts down on food waste and saves money.

17

Family & Home   Finances   Nature, Animals & the Environment  

It’s fine, great, to be thrifty. But please don’t be cheap. Hard-earned money should neither be squandered or hoarded. Enjoy your success! But save more than you’re comfortable with. It’s like my running coach used to say: Keep going until you feel like you’re gonna poop your pants, then push yourself to do another mile. Point is, it should hurt a little.

16, 21

Finances  

Set up a 529 plan. Virginia has a great plan if you don't want to do too much research https://www.savingforcollege.com/

birth-age 3

Finances  

Want a good life? Treat people well. (Including yourself). Be kind and respectful.

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21

Family & Home   Character, Education & Self-Reliance   Sports, Health, Safety & Appearance   Arts, Literature & Self Expression   Science, Technology, Skills & General Knowledge   Fun, Adventure & Travel   Faith & Philosophy   Finances   Emotional Development & Mental Health   Nature, Animals & the Environment   Social Justice, Civics & Humanitarianism   Relationships & Career