Raising Kids in the Age of Foolishness

There are enough fools in the world!

Raising Kids in the Age of Foolishness; Financial Advice #1 WORK HARD

Diligence Leads to Prosperity

•             “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” — Proverbs 21:5

•             “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” — Proverbs 14:23

•             “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” — Proverbs 10:4

•             “A little sleep, a little slumber… and poverty will come on you like a thief.” — Proverbs 6:10–11

I am no “Dave Ramsey.” But I know where he got most of his financial principles. The elements of hard work are imbedded in these verses. First, there is planning. If you are to be financially wise, then plan. Don’t just rush into something. Do your research. Learn about a business, an investment, an enterprise, a trade, a company, and all that is required. Teach your children to do this. Start with simple tasks and ask your children to explain the task before they do it. As they grow, help them develop business plans,

Second, if you hear your child begin talking about something they want to do, even a sport they want to play, move them from the “talk” stage to some action. A little girl might say, “I want to be a baker when I grow up.” Get the pans and flour out. Teach her how to make a cake. Third, never tolerate laziness in your child. Parents who would never tolerate bad language, hitting, or bad table manners allow their children to procrastinate in cleaning their room, or setting the table, or taking out the trash. Make sure your kids do not “drag their feet.” Laziness means not wanting to work. Remind them that if they do not work, they do not eat. Keep your child moving, even in play time,

Fourth, like laziness is your child’s sleep pattern. “Early to bed, early to rise” is a worthy mantra. This is about establishing rhythms in a child’s life that are conducive to work. When more Americans lived on farms, sleeping in was not an option. There were chores to do before school. Today many parents let their children sleep until the last minute with no time for chores like making their bed, picking up their room, or even a healthy breakfast. Often this is the case because the child stays up too late. If this is the rhythm of your life you are robbing them of responsibility, preparation, peace, ordered time with the family, and much more. This may become their pattern when they get a job and that could create a whole new set of problems.