Is your child a spendthrift? A hoarder? Or maybe, downright oblivious? Are there family money dramas you can do without? In RAISING FINANCIALLY FIT KIDS, Joline Godfrey, one of the country's leading experts on kids, parents, and money, gives parents the secrets and knowledge she has gleaned from a decade of working with kids on financial literacy and business. At the heart of the book lies a defined set of values:
November 15, 2003
Renowned for her work in educating girls about money, Godfrey (No More Frogs To Kiss: 99 Ways To Give Economic Power to Girls) presents a general financial apprenticeship for kids ages five through 18. Suggested are age-specific activities and resources that will help parents of all income levels teach the author's "Ten Basic Money Skills" (e.g., saving, keeping track of money, spending wisely, and investing). At the heart of the text is the idea that financial apprenticeship is less about money than about instilling independence and responsibility. Godfrey's humor, coupled with her knowledge of child psychology, helps her make a strong case for a more playful yet studied approach to financial apprenticeship. Chapters on philanthropy and raising privileged kids make the book more suitable for public libraries serving wealthy communities. Libraries that already own Alan Feigenbaum's similar A Parent's Guide to Money: Raising Financially Savvy Children need not purchase. (Fold-out charts of the money skills not seen.)-Maryse Breton, Davis Branch Lib., CA
Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 15, 2003
Money, a powerful factor in family dynamics, is often a difficult subject for families to address. Godfrey aims to help parents send their children into the world as financially savvy adults by identifying 10 specific skills that can be mastered by children ages 5 through 18. These include saving, keeping track of money, spending wisely, living on a budget, investing, handling credit responsibly, and using money to help others. Godfrey contends that her advice is for parents of every income level because the same financial issues confront those with means as confront those with few resources, regardless of race, class, culture, or political orientation. While this book conveniently doubles as an infomercial for her consulting practice, it does offer valuable insight into an important subject.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)