I’ve definitely had challenges with my kids, but something that has worked well for me is to take the time when they make a mistake and use it as a learning opportunity. I think many parents forget how important just listening and being interested is.  All you have to do is make your kids feel like they’re really important and be interested in their lives. A great way to bond is by learning together too…  ... View more

Hi @worried1976. You might want to check this resources when he comes back.  I watch the lessons with my two kids and we all laugh at the videos, but then talk about them in a way that my kids actually learn and get great takeaways.  They have videos for mental strength and also school and financial lessons. ... View more

I know how that feels :( I’ve definitely had challenges with my kids, but something that has worked well for me is to take the time when they make a mistake and use it as a learning opportunity.   In essence, I find out what mistake they’ve made; I often share a story about how I struggled with it; I relate why it’s important to something my kids find important; and then I let my kids talk about how they would do something different and we have a discussion.   I’ve learned more about my two boys in the last 8 months than I thought possible! ... View more

Homeschooling has become a big trend, and I think a lot of kids and parents are getting a great education doing it.  I’ve worked with a lot of kids who have been homeschooled and they’re very bright.  They also tell me they want to learn some of the skills that aren’t taught in school anymore, like leadership, dealing with challenges in life, and other personal and social skills. When kids have a mentor or someone that believes in them and coaches them, it’s amazing how fast they can learn and excel!   ... View more

Many kids never learn about money, investing, or saving.  I think if we could teach our kids financial literacy, they would build good habits and could be really successful.  I was fortunate enough to have some mentors that taught me, and I always try to pay it forward and help teach kids about retirement, investing, and managing money so they won’t get in trouble.  Look at the difference in money if someone waits just 5 years to start saving ... View more

One thing I’ve done that has worked really well is to use resources with my kids.  They are 12 and 16, and they don’t always want to listen to their parents.   Sometimes I’ll find cool videos on YouTube that we can watch together and talk about.  Other times I’ll find video lessons.  I find videos work the best because we can all watch them together… but I think you have to find videos that are funny and short so that your kids can relate.   I use a lot of videos. My kids always like those videos because they’re funny and the topics are usually right on with what my kids are going through. ... View more

One thing I’ve found helpful is to have a conversation with my son as though I’m a consultant.  The way I do this is to ask what he wants and why, then outline clear expectations on how to get there.  For example, he wanted to buy a car and we sat down and came up with a plan.  I asked him what he would need and so we priced a car at about $5,000, then he came up with different ideas for jobs, and then we discussed how to get started.  I didn’t tell him what to do, I just helped guide him and talk through ideas. My son and I have used a lot of the lessons at a site I found to look at different topics without me having to lecture him. ... View more