<p>There is a fabuolously funny thread right now about Dumb Things Your Smart Kids have Done on this board - find it and read it! It did get me thinking though about our soon-tobe-1000 miles away DD. She told me just the other day that her friends that are NOT taking AP Economics are taking "Personal Economics" instead, THEY are learning to make a budget, life insurance, banking.....etc. Our daughter is learning....supply and demand economics, marketing trending, etc. If you think about it, percentage-wise the AP kids are more likely to be on their own in a far flung place immediately after high school. Perhaps more life skills training would be appropriate? The kids in general ed will on a percentage basis probably still have some time at home to learn these skills.......</p>
<p>I purchased a great book written by a local Dad called Financial Advice for the New High School Graduate by Mike Kelly. Perfect reference for kids starting an independent life on getting a job, paychecks, budgeting, credit, buying a car, renting and furnishing an apt, roommates..... highly recommend for at least SOME of the issues. The tone is very approachable and humorous too - I actually think I will not get much flack on asking her to read it, and am hoping she takes it with her as a resource. Have other people found other great resources????</p>
<p>I like “That crumpled paper was due last week” in which a professional organizer works with teen males. The heart of her program is to find a teen’s strengths and passions and then build a system that supports the teen. </p>
<p>It can be helpful to give teens life experiences instead of physical presents – such as tickets to the bus for a ski area or air tickets for the teen and a friend to visit somewhere. A taste of liberty without a parent supervising every step tends to make for a more appreciative teen. </p>
<p>One friend gave the keys to the minivan to her teen son and a friend so they could do a weekend excursion to the next state. Another allowed teens to drive to a campground/concert event. In both cases the parents fretted considerably but the teens did well – and came back grumping about the high cost of restaurant food – now they are much more amenable about packing a bagel!</p>
<p>It may make sense for this type of “personal economics” course to be offered and encouraged as a one semester course to fill in the other semester with the required one semester “health” (sex, drugs, etc.) course. I.e. not promote it as an option that may “crowd out” other courses for the university-bound students, but instead as something that every student normally takes without interfering with his/her other courses.</p>
<p>some hs’s do this as a seminar for seniors rather than in a classroom setting…</p>
<p>The book recommended by the OP sounds like it would be more appropriate for college grads rather than HS though; “renting and furnishing an apt”? at 18? the other stuff would probably be applicable, however…</p>
<p>I’m a junior and one of my favorite more inspiring books on finances(I read a lot on finances) is… Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It’s really inspiring and insightful, get her I read it and you too, it’s really good. I really recommend it.</p>
<p>Agree that some students don’t have to worry about apartments until they graduate, but some decide to live off campus earlier, and if they do, are making arrangements while away from us and our perfect wisdom which of course they would absorb every word of. Not. I think college grads would also appreciate it, although by that point they should have absorbed many of the life lessons living among their peers. The tone is that flip, almost goofy humor that I think is pretty readable at 18. Made me laugh! Other suggestions?</p>
<p>When I was in HS in NJ, in order to graduate we were required to take a 10 week “Consumer Education” class. We learned how to write a check and balance a check book. The difference between a credit card and a debit card (ATMs were brand new back in the day), and how long it takes to pay off a credit card if you only make the minimum payment. We saw a movie on what to look for - and what to avoid - in a used car. The local funeral home director came and talked to us about the basics of planning a funeral. We learned how to fill out a W-2 and a 1040-A (I don’t think the EZ had been invented yet). We learned about renting an apartment and landlord-tennant laws. It was probably the single most useful class I took in hs, and they pulled us out of phys ed to take it (we were required to take phys ed all 4 years). I think it should be mandated for every high school senior.</p>
<p>My daughter’s college offers one-credit “transitions” courses on topics such as personal finance (what is a 401K? and IRA? a Roth? Should I buy a car, or lease one? etc), how to interview and job hunt, etc. </p>
<p>Sometimes we assume our kids know things, but if we’ve never bothered to teach them and they’ve never had to do it before, why would they know?</p>
<p>Oops - just read the title of the thread - I’m supposed to have a book? OK, “Where’s Mom Now That I Need Her?” Basic cookbook with other handy things - how to do small clothing repairs, cleaning, etc.</p>
<p>My vote, and I truly believe it should be required for ALL people, is Albert Ellis’s “How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Absolutely Anything”. All too often people allow themselves to reach levels of upset that cause significant emotional distress and/or cause them to react in ways that are not beneficial to themselves and others and do not result in alleviating emotional upset and resolving problems. If we can think rationally, we can handle anything that comes our way! Ellis’s book is how-to for rational thinking and is certainly beneficial for adolescents undergoing a major life change while their brains are still maturing.</p>
which of course they would absorb every word of. Not. I think college grads would also appreciate it, although by that point they should have absorbed many of the life lessons living among their peers. The tone is that flip, almost goofy humor that I think is pretty readable at 18. Made me laugh! Other suggestions?</p>