Help Fathers be Dads

I recently came across this article on MSN Lifestyles and thought it appropriate for this blog. This article talks about how Fathers can become Dads by investing time and sharing their interests with their children.

Personally, there isn't another thing that I would rather do that be with my children; my family. So many guys seem to think that being with their children is babysitting, and 'womens' work. They don't know what they are missing, or maybe they do and their so self centered that they don't care...

Hopefully this article is passed on to those fathers who need a nudge (clue) on becoming a dad...

Georgia's Baggy Pants Ban

Have you heard about the amendment sponsored by councilman in the State of Georgia that would ban baggy pants? This past week there was an interview on TV with this guy...

As I was watching, I couldn't help but think of how this new fashion statement compares to when Elvis Presley became popular. Wasn't there this same kind of negative attitude towards youth and change then? Didn't the 'older' generation discourage kids from dancing a certain way and listening to rock and roll or even ban certain types of dancing and music altogether?

Wait, what country is this happening in? The land of the free? Apparently the land of the free needs more rules and regulations. With our freedom we all have choices. This means we must decide how to conduct ourselves. Maybe we have forgotten the level of responsibility that we must have to keep our freedom. This responsibility includes considering how the choices we make effect others and their freedom.

Consideration for others begins at home, as does self respect, social etiquette, and personal financial responsibility. When did we as a country stop teaching these things at home? When will we, as a country, start? Isn't this one of the responsibilities that come with our freedom? Will we ignore our responsibility and simply continue making laws that infringe on our freedoms? I hope not...

General Patton, Iraq and Iran

This video from Youtube.com was mentioned on foxnews.com today. If you haven't seen it already, watch it now. Turn down the volume, some of the language might not be appropriate for all the ears that might be around you. Funny at times, but truly provoking. Let me know what you think.

Frugal Parenting

In todays world of immediate gratification, we need to teach our kids to keep a level head and to be patient when it comes to material things.

Today I posted on Money and Credit the fifth of five posts about frugal living, this one called The Frugal Parent. Take a look at it and please feel free to leave comments with any more tips and advise that you can offer.

What do your kids think they'll earn?

On Money and Credit, I wrote about a recent survey recently released by Charles Schwab called "Teens and Money", a poll of 1,000 Amercians aged 13 to 18 from a variety of backgrounds, which found that 73% believed they would earn "plenty of money' when they were adults.

Liz Pulliam Weston had an article today talking about this report, a very good article I might add. It's called "Why your kids expect to be rich".

In the article, Liz suggests 3 things that parents can do:

Talk with your kids about their career aspirations. Once they get beyond the "I want to be a ballerina-veterinarian-astronaut" stage, you can start having real conversations about their interests and what jobs might suit them. Research together what those jobs actually pay, advised Kristine Dixon, Schwab's director of consumer education. You can get average hourly earnings for different professions from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Compensation Survey (this is a .pdf file; data for specific jobs start on Page 7) or see typical salaries across the country with Salary.com's Salary Wizard. Contrast that with what people typically spend on shelter, food, transportation and other living expenses in your area. (If you're comfortable revealing details of your family's finances, you can show them what you spend.)
Give your kids some hands-on experience with money. If your children's only money skill is knowing how to successfully nag you into buying something, they will be woefully unprepared for the real world -- either that, or you'll still be supporting them when they're 50. Better to start turning chunks of cash over to them now, either in the form of an allowance or in payment for work around the house, and let them make decisions on how to spend it. As one poster on the Your Money message board put it, "Let them learn when a lesson is cheap." By the time they're in high school, they should be assuming more responsibility for their own living expenses, as I wrote in "Why allowances don't work."
Adjust your own attitudes about money. Recognize that even if you do win that raise, or that lottery jackpot, you'd adjust pretty quickly to the improvement in your circumstances and would soon want even more. That's not to say you shouldn't be ambitious or want to improve your family's financial circumstances -- far from it. But expecting money to be the magic-ticket solution to all your problems is just as unrealistic for you as it is for your teenager.

They got this all wrapped up!

Okay, so what does this have to do with being a dad?

Well the owner of this truck is supposed to be moving on in life, leaving for another adventure. His friends didn't want him to leave, so they shrink-wrapped his truck in plastic, anchoring it to a tree.

Obviously, its not going to be so easy for the owner of the truck to leave; his truck is wrapped in plastic. But more than that, he will see how his moving on effects his friends, how much they wish they could keep him... how much they'll miss him.

Certainly they're glad for him, happy to see him happy and looking forward to the opportunity that awaits him.

It makes me wonder about the day that my kids will be moving on in life, leaving for another adventure. How will I react? Who will I take to baseball and basketball? Who will go to the dump with me? Who will come downstairs and give me a hug in the morning? Who will I take fishing?

Surely, I'm not going to want to see them go, but I will be happy to see them happy, looking forward to the opportunity awaiting them.. such a huge part of my life... how does a parent prepare? Maybe I should start stocking up on plastic wrap...

Educating Kids for global competition

This post also appears on Money and Credit, another of my blogs... Because it is so important that we make sure our children have the same competitive advantages as do children in other countries, I think that this should also appear here on this blog.

Is the global competition for your paycheck a good or bad thing? Do you feel that this competition will work to drive up wages, or bring them down?

Whether or not it is a good or bad thing, the global competition for your paycheck is real.

How are we positioning ourselves to be marketable and competitive in the global workforce?

Visit Vince Cordic's Internet Marketing Tactics and read a post and be sure to watch the slide show about globalization in the 21st century; truly an eye opener.

Oh, and for more info., Be A Good Dad is hosting a carnival. Be sure to check it out!