You should be able to teach your kids on how to save money. They should be able to understand the concept of money and investment as early as childhood. This will prepare them to learn money management, as they grow old.

Here are some tips on how you can teach your children how to save money:

1. Your children should be educated of the meaning of money. Once your children have learned how to count, that is the perfect time for you teach them the real meaning of money. You should be consistent and explain to them in simple ways and do this frequently so that they may be able to remember what you taught them.

2. Always explain to them the value of saving money. Make them understand its importance and how it will impact their life. It is important that you entertain questions from them about money and you should be able to answer them right away.

3. When giving them their allowances. You need to give them their allowances in denominations. Then you can encourage them that they should keep a certain bill for the future. You can motivate them to do this by telling them that the money can be saved and they can buy new pair of shoes or the toys they want once they are able to save.

4. You can also teach them to work for money. You can start this at your own home. You can pay them fifty cents to one dollar every time they clean their rooms, do the dishes or feed their pets. This concept of earning little money will make them think that money is something they have worked for and should be spent wisely.

5. You can teach them to save money by giving them piggy banks where they can put coins and wait until they get full. You can also open bank accounts for them and let them deposit money from their allowance. You should always show them how much they have earned to keep them motivated.

Money and saving is not something that is learned by children in one sitting. You should be patient in teaching them and relating the value of money in all of their activities. Children will learn this easily if you are patient and consistent in guiding them and encouraging them in this endeavor.

“Rebecca, the next time Kevin screams, do what I call ‘prescribing the symptom.’ This means that you say to Kevin something like, “Kevin, maybe you are not screaming loud enough. Maybe if you scream louder, you will get what you want.” You need to say it in a light tone of voice, with no anger. Almost matter-of-factly.”

The next time Kevin screamed, Rebecca did exactly that.

“Kevin looked at me like ‘are you kidding me?’ and screamed louder. So I told him that it must not be loud enough, so he screamed louder. When I told him it still wasn’t loud enough, he looked at me like I was nuts and stopped screaming. He hasn’t screamed like that since!”

So what happened here? What happened is that Kevin was screaming to not be controlled by Rebecca, as well as hoping to get his way. When she actually told him to scream, the only way he could not be controlled by her was to stop screaming! Her prescribing the symptom also pointed out to him the absurdity of screaming to get his way.

Prescribing the symptom can work for many behaviors:

“Maybe if you whine even more, you will get what you want.”

“I don’t think your temper tantrum is quite doing it. Maybe if you kick harder and cry louder, you will get what you want. I’m sure you can do better than this.”

“You know, that’s a pretty good pout. But it’s not quite good enough. Maybe if you pout even more you can get what you want.”

“You are putting up a pretty good argument. Maybe if you argue longer and louder, you will get what you want.”

You need to be sure that you do this right away, before you feel angry or frustrated. You need to be able to keep it light. It is important for your child to see you calm rather than flustered. Sometimes kids act out just to feel the sense of control over their parents’ behavior when their parents get angry and flustered. It can give children a sense of power to upset people so much bigger than them.

Fortunately or unfortunately, prescribing the symptom can work with adults too – adults who are acting like kids and going into resistance. Many people automatically resist as soon as they think someone is trying to control them and prescribing the symptom can work wonders with these resistant people.

It might even work with your self. If you find yourself reaching for the box of cookies when you have vowed to lose weight, telling yourself that maybe eating the whole box will make you feel better and solve whatever problem or feelings you are trying to avoid with the cookies might just stop you in your tracks, as it did with Kevin!

As a concerned parent:

1. Know the risks posed by video games and the internet. Even if a game is rated as safe on the box, very often, downloadable and alterations to the game online turn the game dangerous. Ratings are not based on alterations and download. So educate yourself everyday.

2. Use the US Department of Education’s Parents Guide to the Internet (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/index.html) and other websites like Child Safety on the Information Highway.

3. Set down strict gaming and internet rules. Monitor the sites your child uses and learn how to use parental controls offered by Windows and other systems.

4. Play the video games yourself so that you have hands on experience.

5. Allow the children to play video games with only known players. If you are unsure of what kids may be doing at a friend’s house, drop in unexpectedly and check on them.

6. Gaming consoles like Xbox 360 have settings parents can use to protect their kids. Read about these at the Xbox 360 website. Read the Xbox code of conduct http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/codeofconduct.htm .

7. Ensure that the kids understand they must never reveal personal information on the internet and that they must use “dummy” identities for play. Sit down with the kids and create fun ids for them.

8. Ensure that the kids do not use live chats or forums online. This would of course depend on how old the children are. Befriend your child/children so that they will come to you when they encounter strange happenings or foul language. Win the trust of the children.

9. Be in touch with other parents and exchange information on video games. Networking works well and several PTAs even have websites that give tips on video gaming.

10. Play time according to child development specialists must be a reward and not a right. Set down the video gaming time say 30 mins thrice a week or everyday depending on your personal choices. Do not permit gaming to be an addiction or obsession. If you notice any behavioral changes and you feel its gaming seek expert advice/help.

The responsibilities of parenting are constantly changing and are more demanding with developments in technology. Parents need to stay young and have a fingertip on developments in gaming, online activities, child safety and more.