Dare to Go "Green" in 2012

Use this year’s resolutions to raise consciousness and also to really change your behavior.  We are coming out of one of the worst economic downturns in our lives.  Let’s use 2012 as a “do-over”–a look at our past should help to guide us to make different choices for the future.

There is no better time, then now…2012 will be a little different–we are going to add energy efficiency to our new list this year.  This is the best time to think about the environment and how we can do our part.  Let’s start with what I call, the ECO-Effect™.  This concept combines ECOlogy and ECOnomics together, so we can save money and resources at the same time.  In fact, my new book, ECO-Effect™: The Greening of Money, explains these concepts for parents and kids and gives you activities to help you also “ECHO” these ideas, so that parents talk to kids, to schools, to communities to the world to make it a better place for all living things.  How can you and your kids have your own “ECO-Effect™” for the New Year?  Start by showing your children your utility bills and let them come up with energy saving ideas.  For instance, it may be a good idea to turn lights off when you leave the room, or unplug all of those cell phone chargers and who knew that you don’t actually have to have a lengthy conversation with the refrigerator door opened?  Let the kids start this New Year by tracking the savings each month to really see your ECO-Effect™!

The Holidays are Here

Our goal is not to repeat the annual gift giving “feeding frenzy” at the holidays. The scene you may remember could have been watching your kids wildly ripping open gifts, hardly looking at each then tearing the next one open. It couldn’t get worse… or could it?  This year, let’s not repeat going into debt the way many people did last year. This holiday season is by far the largest in terms of spending. The total Black Friday spending this year rose 6.6 percent over last year; including online and in-store sales. Online revenue boasted a growth of 24.3 percent over last year. Despite the economy, 2010 spending was an astonishing $135.16 billion, a 5.5 percent increase from 2009. With that trend in mind, 2011 holiday spending is expected to reach an astounding $142.6 billion or more, suggesting we are certainly in a repeat “feeding frenzy.”

It seems that those good ole’ days when gift giving brought a message that “I care about you” are gone.  Wouldn’t you love to instill—or re-instill-- those traditional values in your children?  If you do, you can start by using some of these helpful tips.

First, make sure everyone in the family has a gift-planning calendar. Since you already know the dates of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza or any other holidays on which your family exchanges gifts, it will be simple to get started creating a calendar. Next, mark birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or any other special events that will require a gift. Your children will want to include their friends’ birthdays, too.

But that is just a start. Knowing when a birthday is coming up is important…but knowing when to begin to save for the gift is just as important.  A “start saving” date should be marked on everyone’s calendar…or in the desktop organizer on the family computer.

Make sure your kids understand the importance of appropriate giving.  An over generous gift can indicate too much need for approval or control, it can embarrass the recipient or it can signal the beginning of unhealthy materialistic competition.

You can explain to kids that parents and grandparents love all gifts equally, no matter how much has been spent on it. And suggest that the kids “pool” their resources to buy one gift for special relatives, each child contributing as much as they can afford based on a percentage of their allowance.

Once your children know how much they’re going to be spending on gifts, they can begin to make a saving schedule.  By dividing the cost of a gift by the number of weeks needed to save for the purchase will help them determine when they should begin to save.  Then they can mark the date on the calendar and set their saving plan in motion.

For those very important gifts–perhaps parents or grandparents–you may want to help your kids get that special gift.  The kids should continue to work towards their goal of saving the money needed to buy something special for Grammy and Grandpa but you can help them with a matching fund. In other words, if they’ve saved diligently according to the saving schedule they’ve set up, you’ll match the total.

Gift giving is mostly about “thoughtfulness.” A gift says, “I care.” It comes through most eloquently by how much thought has gone into the gift’s selection not its price.

And don’t forget you don’t have to spend money on every gift. In fact, you shouldn’t. Some gifts shouldn’t be “money-based.”  Help your children to give “gift vouchers” for something.  And that could be the best gift of all.

“Gift vouchers” can be geared to the recipient’s interests.  Like cleaning golf balls for your favorite golfer, cooking a vegetarian meal for the family vegan or cataloging a collection of baseball cards for your baseball lover.

“Gift vouchers” can be redeemed for running errands to the store, for yard work or for babysitting. One of the best ones was suggested by my own children.  It’s called a “No Fighting Zone” voucher, good for three fights. If my children started squabbling, I pulled out the voucher and the kids had to stop fighting. (P.S… This actually works!)
Let your kids come up with their own ideas for giving, just remember: “I care” and “I love you” never comes with a price tag.

How to Talk to Your Kids About Your Financial Woes

Come clean with your older kids.  Don’t pretend everything is okay if it isn’t.

If they all of a sudden see Mom or Dad (or both) moping around the house screaming or crying don’t just say, “Everything’s fine”.  They might think the worst; that you are sick.  Explain that things change in life and that times are tough and you got laid off.  It’s not your fault, things happen beyond your control.  Explain that you are looking for a job and that you’ll keep the kids posted.  You may not have all the answers today.  You may even have to move, but that is not the end of the world.

You will also have to cut back on expenses and you can even ask them to come up with ideas.  They will feel better if they are part of the solution.  You want your kids to understand that life and circumstances are constantly changing.  Allow them to be disappointed for awhile, but stress that you are not your “stuff”, and that you are a family with values.  It’s a great time to get back to basics and let the kids really see who you are.

Economic Crisis - A Learning Moment for Your Kids

Go Congress!  You have created a wonderful situation to spice up a dinner conversation.  (That is, if you remember what dinner is—you know, the family eats together and looks up from their phones long enough to engage in something called conversation?)

Explain to your kids that if the Government’s economic situation was being experienced by your family—you would have to declare bankruptcy.  That means that you would not have enough to pay your bills.  Have kids figure out what some of your monthly bills are (hint: mortgage/rent, utilities, cell phone, car, gas, etc.).  The bank would take back your home, or the landlord would kick you out of the house, the utility companies would shut off the electricity and heat/air conditioning, your cell phone would not work, etc.

But, governments are different than families.  Governments can tax people.  Explain taxes without causing lasting psychological damage for your kids—or huge psychiatric bills for you.  Don’t ask the kids to set up a toll at the end of the street—it won’t work, and your neighbors will want in on it!

Governments can also print money to pay bills.  Imagine the printing press you could have!  So, all the drama in Washington—kind of like bickering children?  So sorry, I’d never insult your kids! Explain to your kids that government can get away with irresponsibility, but that families can’t!