Category Archives: Parenting

Crystal O’Connor discusses Money and Kids with Sarah Cook of Raising CEO Kids

Teaching kids business skills early will increase their financial awareness.  As we begin to teach our kids these important lessons about business and money it’s important to take advice from others that have been there and done that with their own kids.  Sarah Cook with Raising Ceo Kids shares tips on raising your own kids to be more self sufficient and money savvy.  Listen to the audio below to our 20  minute conversation and leave a comment sharing your own ideas.  We’d love to hear them!

Video: What Adults Can Learn from Kids

From TED Talks

Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs “childish” thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids’ big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups’ willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

7+1 Tips for Working Moms

7+1 Tips for Working Moms

by Erika Kalmar, Career Wellness Coach

From SelfGrowth.com

Tip #1 – Accept the imperfect!

Many Moms (especially after the first child) want to do everything perfect. They want to do a perfect job at work, with the child, at home and with their husband. They just want to be perfect everywhere and with everyone. But what happens is that once they take some extra time to do some household works, they take away time from the kid, right? So they start feeling guilty. They immediately start feeling… imperfect.

Solution: accept the imperfect. You can never be 100% perfect. Every day is a new day, there are unexpected things occurring, you can never make your 100% perfect. Just accept this and throw away the guilt you are feeling. Accept yourself the way you are and for what you are. Do you feel more enlightened now?

Tip #2 – Release your beliefs that don’t serve you!

Often, you are the one who is standing in your way. Hmmm??? Yes, you heard it right. We women tend to nurture so many beliefs according to which we live our lives that actually prove to be more obstacles than helping hands. “I have to take care of this”. “I can’t ask my husband to do this”. “Only I can arrange this.” Are you sure? Do you HAVE to take care of that? CANNOT you ask your husband? Only YOU can arrange that, no one else? If you challenge these beliefs the way just I did, you can sometimes easily see that you were nurturing completely false (maybe even ridiculous) beliefs. So once these beliefs are challenged and released, a solution seems to be appearing that you might have never thought of: maybe you don’t need to do that at all, maybe your husband is also capable of arranging it, or someone else…

Tip #3 – Start noticing the positives!

Our brain is programmed in such a way that we tend to notice things that are negative: a task is not done, the floor is dirty, the lunch is spoilt and then on top of that even the kid is tiring today, my husband is moaning over his work and then you switch on the TV and you only see disasters in the news. Sounds familiar? Sometimes days might pass by thinking there is nothing worthy happening. Or not? Then how about these ones: do you have a warm bed? How does your morning coffee / tea taste? What feeling does it give you to see your kids waking up and cuddling you? How was your shower or bath today? Do you feel grateful that you have something to eat? Isn’t it tasty that juicy apple you are eating? And did you notice, even the sun is shining today? Everything is so vivid green outside? And the twitter of the birds?

You see, the positives are there, you just need to notice them. If you feel you are getting into the whirl of negatives, sit down and make a list of all nice things you experienced today. If nothing comes to your mind, just sit there and look around you, the words will come. You might want to do this exercise every evening before going to bed. It not only puts you into a positive mood but it will also help to get you a good sleep.

Tip #4 – The magic pill is you!

We women often read articles or books in the hope of finding the magic pill. I want to have a more relaxed, more balanced life, so I just need to find the “balanced life for working Moms” pill, take it and everything will be sorted out. Have you found this pill yet? Bad news: you will NOT. Why? Because you are searching for it at the wrong place! Look inside, not outside. There is no general recipe, you have to find what works for you and what gives YOU joy, happiness and fulfilment. So ponder over a few questions, re-connect to yourself: Who are you? What comes naturally for you (either by seeing from your own experience or by feedback from others)? What energizes you? What are your dreams? What is what you would like to achieve?

Once you answered these questions, you found your magic pill.

Tip #5 – It’s your truth, it’s your response!

Do you know that there is no truth on Earth? There are only perceptions. Perception is the angle through which you are viewing something. We all view situations, people and things via our own glasses of perceptions. That is the reason why two people might react so differently in the same situation. Even two kids, just notice if they fall: one will stand up and continue to reach his target, whereas the other will remain seated and will cry and dwell on his hurt leg until gets enough comfort from Mom. If there would be one truth, they would both react the same way. Now, if you can choose the perception, it means you can also choose your response to a situation. Let’s say you are in the car, on your way to the school to pick up your kid but you got into a terrible traffic jam. Nothing is moving forward. You feel warmer and warmer, you can hardly breathe, you are even rambling, blaming the cause of the traffic jam, you are just thinking of the lost time and the consequences of getting late. Sounds familiar? One question: in what way will getting upset help you getting out of the traffic jam? Probably in no way. Because your response to the situation of getting upset, will not change the situation. It will change only you, because you will be upset. So is it worth at the end of the day? How about choosing another attitude? Being patient? Switching on the radio and listening to good music? Calling up a friend you haven’t talked to for long, while waiting? Using the time to plan things you need to do that week? Or just seeing your kids’ lovely smile in front of you?

Bottomline is, that there is no situation that forces you to be like this or like that. You choose that. So why not choose an empowering attitude? The decision is yours.

Tip #6 – Priority is … YOU!

I want you to do an exercise here. What would happen in your family if you would be depressed, had no energy and no joy in anything? How would that impact each member of your family? And how would that impact your larger family? And your friends? And your working environment? Probably you answered that it would have a negative impact, it would be more difficult for them to cope, to re-energize you, to sort out problems and situations etc. You see how mood is contagious? And just imagine now the other extreme: that you are in top shape, brightening like a star, funny, dynamic. what would be the impact of this to your family? You see, everything is you. Whether you are feeling well or less well in your skin, it will have an impact on your family. Therefore it is your responsibility to give yourself a special treatment and care for you. Find time for things that contribute to your wellness – could be a warm bath or getting a massage or going for a shopping tour. Don’t feel guilty about it, this is not egoism! And remember, if you feel great, your family will as well.

Tip #7 – Focus!

Working Moms often feel in a trap: they must do 100% while at work, and 100% while at home. We talked about it earlier that it is impossible to perform perfectly well, but other than that, we want to maximize our efficiency. How? What happens if you are worried too much about your children or household tasks while sitting at work? Or if you spend some of your work time daydreaming? And vice versa – what happens if you keep thinking of your unfinished tasks instead of providing quality time to your kids? You see, this will not lead to an optimal balance. So try to focus on your activity of here and now (or there and then) to make sure you can accomplish the work you have on time. So work at work and be a Mom at home!

+1 Tip – Find a family friendly work!

Often we have real difficulties in getting our work and family responsibilities under the same hat. So if the above tips do not help, have a serious thought whether you are at the right work or right company. Because let’s be honest, there are companies and jobs where it is not seen with enthusiasm if you leave at 5 to pick up the kid or if you turn down a task because you cannot work extra hours. So that is the time to think it over: Do you like your job? And here don’t think with nostalgia on the times you accepted this offer, your priorities might have changed since then. Do you still like your job? If yes, is this the best company you could work for, under current circumstances? If no, start the job search now. Look at information in the press or from friends of where you can find a family friendly company. What if there is none in your area? Is there something you can do in that case? Like making yourself independent and doing what you do naturally well? This might be quite a change to your current career but why not if it works for you beautifully? And don’t look down at professions just because they are freelance, if you are now in a managerial position. You will see, being a freelancer or independent, has also its challenges. There as well you have to be good technically plus to be a good manager, administrator, accountant, salesperson and so on.

So are you working in the best possible environment?

Author’s Bio

Erika Kalmar is a career coach, developer of the Career Wellness CoachingTM concept, founder of the Terpsichori Coaching company and member of the International Coach Federation.

Having spent the last 10 years in recruitment, she realised the importance of career wellness as opposed to career success and applies this in her approach with clients. She is working with those 70% of people who want to bring in more balance and fulfilment in their career lives, by offering f*ree career tools, articles, career support community and coaching.

Teach Your Teen Paycheck Savvy

Teach Your Teen Paycheck Savvy

By Linda Stern

From CNN Money Magazine

Congrats! Your kid landed a summer job in this tight, tight economy.

Now, of course, he’ll have that $7.25 an hour burning a hole in his pocket. That’s where you step in: “Parents have a real opportunity to help teens learn to manage that first paycheck,” says Mari Adam, a Boca Raton, Fla., financial adviser. “I can’t think of a better learning experience.” Share some solid financial strategies with your teen now, and your child may even have some cash left over come September.

Have the tax talk

Better explain the harsh realities of gross vs. net before your teen gets any big ideas about what she’ll spend her wages on. She may not yet understand that taxes will be withheld from every paycheck. So sit down with your child to go over that first pay stub, explaining how and why taxes are taken out, as well as the difference between income taxes (which most teens are likely to get back when they file tax returns) and FICA taxes (which they won’t). “This will be a real shock to them,” says Adam.

Take it to the bank

Help your kid open two bank accounts — one savings, one checking. Spend time together comparing fees and rates online, looking specifically for a no-fee checking account meant for teenagers. You’ll have to co-sign the accounts, but it’s worth it so your kid can start learning to use an ATM card and keep his balance in the black. (Just don’t forget to mention the exorbitant costs of using another bank’s ATM.)

Your child may balk at an analog check register but might enjoy tracking expenses online via Mint.com. To motivate him, explain about the $30 overdraft fees the bank will rapidly bestow if he messes up budget calculations. And remind him that at minimum wage, it would take most of a day’s work to recoup that expense.

Share the savings secret

Deferred gratification is an important lesson. Your teen may not be inspired to stash cash for retirement but may be swayed to the savings habit with a near-term goal, like an iPod Touch or a limo for homecoming. Help her do the math so that she’ll know how much to set aside per paycheck to afford her prize by summer’s end. Show her how to have that automatically transferred from checking to savings every pay period. As an incentive, offer to match your child’s contributions.

Avoid micromanaging

Blowing that first paycheck on shoes that will be out of style before the next check arrives is a rite of passage, isn’t it? It’s also a “very good lesson,” says Rob Gordon, a Coconut Grove, Fla., financial adviser. So let kids have space to make spending decisions, even if they’ll end up with buyer’s remorse.

There’s nothing like having wasted your own hard- earned cash to make you more careful with your money next time.

Planning for the care of a special-needs child

Planning for the care of a special-needs child

By Paul Keegan and Karen Cheney

From Money Magazine Online

(Money Magazine) — Jason and Amanda Purnell met while getting their Ph.D.s in psychology at Ohio State, married in 2007, and were ecstatic when Amanda became pregnant shortly before they moved to St. Louis last July to be near family. Then they learned that their 22-week-old fetus had Down syndrome. They were shocked — at 29, Amanda was well below the at-risk age to conceive a baby with this condition. “The first 24 hours, I was inconsolable,” she says.

But Amanda, a psychologist at a VA medical center, and Jason, an assistant professor at Washington University, didn’t dwell for long on the difficulties they might face raising their coming child but instead kicked into high gear to do right by her. By the time Maya Elizabeth was born last December, her parents had found a day-care center that provides physical and speech therapy, drawn up wills and powers of attorney, and taken out $1.6 million, 30-year term life insurance policies. They set up a trust as the beneficiary because if Maya has more than $1,000 in assets when she turns 18, she’ll lose eligibility for some government benefits.

Maya is now 6 months old, healthy, and a sound sleeper. But the Purnells have plenty of worries to keep them up at night. Many children with Down syndrome eventually require surgery for heart or gastrointestinal problems or have developmental delays. Jason and Amanda also worry about money.

Even though they have a combined income of $177,000, they’re facing a rash of expenses: There’s the usual (payments on their $261,000 mortgage, $37,000 in student loans, replacing their 10-year-old cars), plus Maya’s special needs (medical bills not covered by insurance, possibly private school when state subsidies for her therapies end at age 3). “We know we’ll be financially supporting Maya for the rest of our lives,” Jason notes.

The Purnells have made a great start by setting up wills and a trust for Maya, says St. Louis lawyer Martha Brown, part of a network of attorneys called the Special Needs Alliance. They should also write a memo, called a Letter of Intent, that details instructions for her care, from the food that she eats to the therapies that work best. “Think of it as a road map of Maya’s life that will ensure she’s well cared for,” she says. As for the Purnells’ finances, planner Michael Byrne of Cherry Hill, N.J., who has a daughter and two brothers with special needs, suggests the following:

The Fixes

1. Set up a second trust

The trust drawn up by the Purnells won’t become operational until after they both pass away. So family and friends who want to contribute to Maya’s care should put money into a separate special-needs trust to fund nonessentials (say, dental bills or trips to Disney World), says Brown. That way, Maya doesn’t risk losing federal disability benefits.

2. Ramp up savings

Jason and Amanda need an emergency fund of $42,000, vs. the measly $4,000 they have now. Once that’s taken care of, they should begin a “reserve fund” to pay for big-ticket nonemergency extras, including new cars and possible private-school tuition for Maya, says Byrne. The interest rate on their student loans is only 5%, so they can pay them off gradually.

3. Plan for three retirements

The Purnells must become hypersavers to cover their retirement as well as Maya’s long-term care. Amanda’s raises should go into her Federal Thrift Savings Plan, currently funded at 5% (just enough to get the match); Jason should do the same with his 403(b). An aggressive 80% stock/20% bond mix should maximize their returns over time.

Video: Susan Beacham provides advice on Teens and Money on the Dr. Phil Show

Katie is a teenaged girl who wants a lot, and who expects her parents to foot the bill. She asks for manicures, haircuts and clothes without any thought to the financial cost. Susan Beacham sits down with Katie to discuss her family’s monthly income, and shows her the amount available to spend after mortgage payments, utilities and other bills are taken out of the paycheck.

The Most Successful Teen Celebrity Entrepreneurs

The Most Successful Teen Celebrity Entrepreneurs

The recipe for success is to do one thing really well, diversify and go viral.

By Maureen Farrell

From Forbes Magazine Online


It’s hard enough to land a line in a TV commercial, let alone snag a starring role in a feature film. Or bag a record contract. Or a chunky book advance. Or a big box store endorsement deal.

But achieving all of the above, with some philanthropy on the side? Now that’s serious entrepreneurship–and it’s all in a day’s work for a rarefied clique of teenage celebrity entrepreneurs who have star power to spare.

These preternatural, barely post-pubescent brand-builders have dabbled in multiple entertainment genres, bagged endorsements, raised money for charity and even sold their personal stories and photos to the tabloids.

In Pictures: 11 Teen Celebrity Entrepreneurs

The path to becoming a multitasking multihyphenate? “Don’t try to do it all at first,” says Frederick Levy, a Hollywood agent and author of Acting in Young Hollywood. “The most successful tween and teen stars have built either an acting or music career and then branched off into other areas. Once people like you on a television show, they’ll buy your albums and your clothes and almost anything else you want to sell.”

That’s what 16-year-old Taylor Momsen is doing. A cast member on the CW’s Gossip Girl, Momsen’s manager, Sam Maydew, says her first love has always been music, but “at 12, people won’t take you seriously.” Now after three successful seasons as Jenny Humphrey, Momsen’s musical career is taking off. The lead singer in punk band Pretty Reckless, last year she signed a contract with Interscope Records and will be on the Warped Tour this summer.

Momsen has company among teen celebrities who spread out into other areas, but unlike most, she didn’t rise out of the two tween and teen star factories. Entertainment conglomerates The Walt Disney Co.DIS – news people ) and Viacom‘s (VIA – news – people ) Nickelodeon are the machines that built A-listers like Miley Cyrus, Hillary Duff and the Jonas Brothers.

“These platforms put celebrities in front of millions of young people,” says Mitchell Gossett, an agent with United Talent Agency who represents Victoria Justice, the star of Nickelodeon’s Victorious. “Most of these actors are multitalented. Once they’ve been adopted by Disney or Nickelodeon, they can start marketing ancillary products.”

Still, with the changing media landscape, Gossett says even teens who have been crowned by Disney and Nickelodeon as the next sensation must find ways to get their names and faces out to the public virally by cultivating a Web following. Gossett, who formerly represented Miley Cyrus, credits her success to her own knowledge of viral marketing.

“Miley had this machine behind her, but she also knew how to use the Internet to generate the undercurrent for her extraordinary rise,” says Gosset. “The machines like Disney are looking to young people to help them figure out how to use the Internet most successfully.”

Some entrepreneurial youngsters have found a way to make YouTube a platform for launching their own careers. Sixteen-year-old music sensation Justin Bieber was discovered by agent Scooter Braun through videos he posted on YouTube. Bieber’s talent and his YouTube following sparked a bidding war between Usher and Justin Timberlake to sign Bieber to their respective labels. Usher won.

“I used to fly around the country looking for talent, and I still do, but nowadays another way is to spend hours a day on the Internet looking for the next star, ” says Gossett.

Miley Cyrus and her Hannah Montana franchise have spawned multimillion-dollar empires both inside and outside Disney. But she’s not the only one. Find the 11 top teen celebrity entrepreneurs here.

In Business and Family, Something Has to Give

In Business and Family, Something Has to Give

In the race to maximize all the hours in the day, entrepreneurial moms have to make difficult choices.

By Lisa Druxman, Mompreneur

From Entrepreneur Magazine Online

No matter what your stage in motherhood, it really is a full-time job. I don’t know a single stay-at-home mom who feels she has extra hours in the day. Now, add running a business to that never-ending job, and it’s easy to see how it’s a formula for becoming overwhelmed. Nevertheless, so many of us hit the trenches each day as both mom and entrepreneur. Personally, I’m on a never-ending journey to make the formula work.

You’ve heard it before. We all have the same 24 hours. So, if we are filling those hours with business and motherhood, something has to give. I asked women all over the country what they have given up in order to be a mom in business, and here’s a sampling of what they said:

  • Sleep, time with husband, housecleaning (Marianne S.)
  • I have given up all extra time commitments that don’t pass a very simple test: How is this benefitting:
    1. my kids
    2. my husband
    3. peace.
    No extra committees or commitments. (Carey F.)
  • I don’t give up anything. I just prioritize and focus on what’s most important. (Mindy C.)
  • I have given up TV, and I don’t miss it a bit. (Lindsey S.)
  • I think the biggest thing I realize I have given up is daydreaming time. However, my life is a wonderful dream with kids adding happiness and joy all of the time that I almost feel that I am living the daydream. (Jamie F.)
  • I have given up time with friends. At the end of the day, I want to be with my family. I hope my friends are still around later. (Teresa R.)
  • I have given up trying to do it all. My husband is having to step it up.(Amy T.)
  • I have given up long exercise sessions. I still get them in, but they are more intense to make up for lost time. (Anne S.)
  • I have given up book club. Too much pressure. (Susan K.)

In conversing with these women, I heard guilty confessions of watching too much television, getting lost in Facebook or spending too much time chatting on the phone with friends. Life is supposed to be fun and rewarding, but make sure those things are truly energizing you and not just sapping your time. If our time is so valuable, we should spend it wisely.

Instead of feeling like I’ve given something up, I feel like I’m maximizing my time. I am very focused on the best use of every day. I am very careful not to schedule in-person meetings, especially if I have to travel to them. I use e-mail first and phone second. I delegate anything I don’t have to do myself. And every day I focus on getting done what will make the biggest difference for my business or my family vs. what just seems urgent.

So, when you say that something has to give, realize that you may be giving yourself a very purposeful life.

Lisa Druxman is Entrepreneur.com’s “Mompreneur” columnist and the founder and CEO of fitness franchise Stroller Strides. Druxman is also a nationally recognized speaker and author, and is considered an expert in the field of fitness, particularly pre- and postnatal fitness. She hosts a free monthly webinar during which she answers questions from fellow mompreneurs. If you are interested in participating, contact her at [email protected].

Video: These Kids Mean Business

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Clarence Page looks at the role of entrepreneurship education as a way to help change the lives of at-risk youth.

Centered on budding entrepreneurs across the country and the programs created to foster their interest and understanding of the free-market, the documentary tells the tale of underserved youth creating and living their own versions of the American success story.

For more information visit
http://www.pbs.org/thesekidsmeanbusiness

11-year-old college graduate

From HuffingtonPost.com

Meet Moshe Kai Cavalin, the 11-year-old who just finished setting the bar impossibly high for college students everywhere. Not only did this youngster just graduate from college at the age of 11, but he did so with honors, holding down a 4.0 GPA, and his favorite subject is astrophysics.

He is also an accomplished martial artist, winning several national martial arts championships; his idols are Albert Einstein and Bruce Lee. He’s going to use the next year to take up scuba diving, write a book for kids on how to succeed in school, and work on his martial arts skills.

Moshe isn’t into video games because “it’s not helping humanity in any way.”

Read more about Moshe here.

-Or-

Watch a video report from CNN below.

11-year-old College graduate