tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72844070472467183162024-03-12T18:02:45.681-05:00Thriving in the 21st CenturyBarbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-50531322524779760112011-09-08T11:40:00.000-05:002011-09-08T11:40:24.879-05:00For the latest news....please go to <a href="http://www.thrivinginthe21stcentury.com/">http://www.thrivinginthe21stcentury.com/</a>, which is where I'll be posting from now on.<br />
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Feel free to search this blog's archives for news and links from the past year.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-11612823134599709222011-08-02T12:54:00.000-05:002011-08-02T12:54:05.189-05:00Debt Ceiling Bill Adds to Student Loan Burden for Grad StudentsThanks to the new debt ceiling deal, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/01/news/economy/debt_ceiling_students/index.htm">grad students will end up paying thousands of dollars more</a> on <em>their</em> student loans in order to finance Pell Grants for low-income undergrad students. <br />
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Why does the federal government want to charge grad students for the tuition of undergrads? According to the article:<br />
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<blockquote>"Full funding for Pell Grants is absolutely essential to fulfilling the president's goal of the U.S. once again having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020," said Pauline Abernathy, vice president of the Institute for College Access & Success.</blockquote>Why is it so important to have the most college grads in the world when the U.S. government has already predicted that over 80% of the fastest-growing and most-common occupations of the future will <strong><em>not</em></strong> require a bachelor's degree or higher?Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-10771256626475690652011-07-25T12:13:00.001-05:002011-07-25T12:13:00.826-05:00New Review is UpA new review of <em>Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality</em> states: <br />
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"Rest assured this book is a really good resource for all parents."<br />
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Want specifics? Read the entire review <strong><a href="http://ireaddoyou.blogspot.com/2011/06/thriving-in-21st-century-by-barbara.html">HERE</a></strong>.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-44469305327217855812011-07-18T13:09:00.001-05:002011-07-18T13:09:00.144-05:00Why Your Kids Can't Find Summer JobsWorking a summer job is one of the best ways for teens to prepare for the future. Learning to work for others and developing a good work ethic are valuable skills that will help them throughout their lives. The pay is just a bonus.<br />
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But this summer, teens are having a terrible time finding jobs. The bad economy deserves a lot of blame, but <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304447804576411903821123330.html?KEYWORDS=the+jobless+summer">there's another factor</a> that deserves blame, too.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-77109607616829334332011-07-11T13:25:00.000-05:002011-07-11T13:25:00.832-05:00Across the Pond, Trades vs. McJobs vs. College is DiscussedJust as in America, more British people are wondering how to prepare their kids for the future and where the best prospects for the future are likely to be found. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385967/School-leavers-told-ignore-snobbery-McDonalds-job.html">This article</a> describing how the CEO of McDonald's has suggested many kids should work at her company instead of going to college is interesting, but it's the discussion in the comments section that's really illuminating. It shows that the debate we need to have in this country is already going on in Great Britain.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-76638601968901202482011-07-04T13:52:00.000-05:002011-07-04T13:52:00.516-05:00iPads for Kids: a Necessity?The Chicago Public Schools recently spent $450,000 to provide nearly two dozen schools with 32 iPads each. Judging from <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-05-10/news/ct-met-ipad-for-prek-0511-20110510_1_ipads-preschool-classroom-kindergartens">this article</a>, the kids aren't really doing anything with their iPads that couldn't be done with a teacher. But school administrators are hopeful that this will prepare kids for the future.<br />
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Do your kids need an iPad? I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Kids are very good at picking up computer skills whenever they're introduced to them. So if your kids don't get near an iPad until they're older, they won't have missed out on anything. But a 5-year-old who spends hours on an iPad every day is missing out on what 5-year-olds <em>should</em> be doing, like playing outside, making art and learning about the world around them. How about getting the basics (reading, writing, arithmetic) down before becoming addicted to technology? After all, technology is not the only topic our kids will need to be well-versed on.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-8110584664277250272011-06-27T15:52:00.000-05:002011-06-27T15:52:14.545-05:00Is College a Scam?The media has been <em>slowly</em> drawing attention to the problems with our system of colleges and universities, and the question of whether students are being educated or scammed. <a href="http://youtu.be/VpZtX32sKVE">Here's a video</a> from the <a href="http://www.inflation.us/">National Inflation Association</a> that does a good job of spelling out just what's going on in both higher education and our government. You might not agree with all of it but it will give you a lot of food for thought.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-63966113407364456102011-06-20T13:41:00.000-05:002011-06-20T13:41:00.987-05:00Thriving Through MasteryI'm not crazy about the title of this wonderful article by Gary North, "<a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north981.html">Time to Get Rich</a>." I think it misleads the reader into thinking it's another of those smarmy get-rich-quick articles, and it's nothing like that. In fact, it explains the opposite: how young people can invest time in mastering certain skills so that they benefit throughout their lives. It's certainly worth your time if you're a parent who's concerned about raising children who will thrive in the new economy!Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-19267797202152430862011-06-13T15:40:00.000-05:002011-06-13T15:40:49.009-05:00Can Your Kids Communicate?No, it’s not what you think. I’m sure your kids can talk, chatter, question, and occasionally demand (mine sure could!)…..the question is, can your kids communicate calmly and clearly so that they can be understood? So that they don’t come across as rude or demanding? So that they can get along with people and even defend their faith?<br />
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How about email? Can they write emails that will make sense, come across politely and not make them look bad? Many employers say most of their recent-college-grad employees have difficulty communicating properly. How can you teach your children to be the exceptions to that rule?<br />
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Learn more about effective communication for the 21st century in <a href="http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=497499&cmd=apop">a podcast I recently recorded with JoJo Tabare</a>s of <a href="http://artofeloquence.com/index.php">Art of Eloquence</a>. JoJo is a whiz at explaining how to raise children who communicate well, and why it’s so important that you do so.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-28730504898783137312011-06-10T13:53:00.001-05:002011-06-10T13:53:00.197-05:00Has Outsourcing Come Full Circle?A recent study found that Indian companies have begun outsourcing call center work to another country: the U.S.<br />
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Apparently our high unemployment rate has resulted in a large pool of workers willing to work in call centers for $10-12 an hour, and India's dramatic growth has made hiring cheap overseas labor a necessity.<br />
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I think we'll see more of this as wages around the globe fall into alignment in the global economy.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-4509265242274048352011-06-07T13:51:00.000-05:002011-06-07T13:51:00.361-05:00Jobs Do Not Equal SecurityThe U.S. job market continues to flounder; when we do have growth, it's very weak. While <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-01/adp-estimates-u-s-companies-added-38-000-employees-in-may.html">this article</a> suggests that the Japanese tsunami and earthquake may be partly to blame, the fact is that this is an ongoing weakness and the hallmark of a shaky economy.<br />
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No one is predicting that this problem will be solved anytime soon. Some believe it's a systemic problem with no easy answers. So our children will likely enter adulthood in an economy where the phrase "job security" is an oxymoron.<br />
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What can we do? We can raise entrepreneurial children who understand how to develop a side income, and help them become financially savvy so that they know how to stretch the dollars they earn. I cover those subjects in great depth in <em><a href="http://www.cardamompublishers.com/thrivinginthe21stcentury.htm">Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality</a></em>.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-20042486618520668212011-06-05T12:52:00.000-05:002011-06-05T12:52:00.564-05:00A Winning Combination: Children, Computers and Time(excerpted from <em><a href="http://www.thrivinginthe21stcentury.com/">Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality</a></em>)<br />
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Ultimately, schools have enough on their plates teaching children the three R’s; adding a requirement for insuring that children become computer-literate can often overwhelm even the best schools. So if children don’t learn to use computers in school, where can they learn this vital skill?<br />
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My experience has been that children are very capable of teaching themselves to use a computer at home. We bought our first computer when our older children were 11 and 9. My husband used it each evening after work, learning the design software that would eventually allow him to start his own business. That’s why our children were only allowed on the computer during the day. I quickly learned that they would stay on there all day if I let them, so we established the 45-minutes-per-day rule, enforced by a kitchen timer on top of the monitor.<br />
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Before long, our older children had taught themselves all about how to use the computer. Once we began accessing the Internet, they designed their own Web sites. They soon needed more computer time than they were allowed, so each saved up and bought their own computer. Our daughter started a Web zine about music, attracting a following of kids who shared her interest. Our son ran a Web site about his favorite major league baseball player; his site was later written up in <em>Baseball Weekly</em>. They achieved this level of proficiency after only a few years of using the computer, and each was entirely self-taught. (They later took a few online courses to hone their computer skills.)<br />
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They (and, a few years later, their younger sister) quickly became more proficient in computer basics than I have yet to become after many years of computer use. Our fourth child, who has developmental disabilities, is not as computer-literate as the others were at his age (that is partly due to his limited reading ability), but he can find and start different educational games on our computer without assistance. My point here is that all four were given access to a basic computer and the time to experiment with it. Based on their success, I believe it’s up to parents and the kids themselves, not the schools, to produce computer-literate children. Parents should provide the computer and the time. Given that opportunity, the children will take over from there. <br />
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One reason children pick up the computer so quickly is that they’re more willing to explore the computer and press keys without worrying that they’ll mess up something. We adults are often hampered by that fear, so it may take us longer to learn how to use a computer. While we sit flipping through a tutorial book plotting our next move, they’ve already clicked back and forth between screens and figured out what to do (and what not to do). <br />
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Of course, they do make mistakes in the process, and sometimes lose information they had painstakingly put in there. But once they become more proficient than their parents, they realize that it’s up to them to solve the problem, and they learn to do so.<br />
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I think the fact that I couldn’t come running to my children’s rescue each time the computer “ate” something important forced them to figure things out for themselves; they learned pretty early on that I wasn’t going to be much help, no matter how good my intentions. They became fearless when it came to using the computer, which helped them become computer troubleshooters for the rest of the family.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-27142820327337309122011-06-01T17:50:00.000-05:002011-06-01T17:50:52.166-05:00Gardening is an Essential Skill for the FutureIf you're a gardener, by now your seedlings are likely in the ground and poised for growth. Did you include your children when you planted your seedlings? Teaching children how to garden is excellent preparation for adulthood in the new economy. Knowing how to grow and preserve your own food is a very valuable skill for people who are between jobs and limited on funds. <br />
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An added incentive is that many of our food sources are now questionable. We can't control how food is grown in other countries. Produce is often coated with chemicals and/or irradiated to prepare it for long-distance shipping. And in extreme cases like <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CONTAMINATED_VEGETABLES_EUROPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-06-01-10-46-47">the current situation in Europe</a>, imported food can kill you.<br />
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Growing your own food eliminates all those risks. Kids love to garden; why not teach yours how to do so?Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-59211323975670493032011-05-24T13:48:00.001-05:002011-05-24T13:48:00.704-05:00Resources for Questions About College in the 21st CenturyIf you have children who want to attend college, or children whom you want to attend college (there <em>is</em> a difference), you'll need to be as prepared as possible to navigate the increasingly complicated process of making the college decision. Economist Gary North has prepared a webpage with an assortment of very helpful and thought-provoking links. Check it out <a href="http://www.garynorth.com/public/department89.cfm">HERE</a>.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-40937183498257675922011-05-20T14:48:00.000-05:002011-05-20T14:48:23.317-05:00Math is Important for Home-Grown JobsYou don't have to go far to find that many young people have few if any math skills. Try giving a young cashier $20.06 for a bill that's $14.56 so that you can get a fiver plus two quarters back. They'll usually give you a look like you came from Mars. They'll have no idea why you're doing what you're doing until they type in the amount tendered and receive instructions from the computerized cash register telling them how much change to give you. <br />
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That lack of math skills is why many people are calling for increased math study in American schools. But another good reason is that while there are some jobs available in our still-struggling manufacturing sector, they require workers who are good at math. <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/112693/help-wanted-factory-floor-wsj">These jobs are open, right now</a>, and need smart young people to fill them. In most cases, no college degree is required. But you've got to be able to do math.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-79560247364407756322011-05-16T13:06:00.002-05:002011-05-16T13:06:00.616-05:00The Evidence Piles Up Against Attending CollegeI'm not saying no one should go to college. Here's what I say in <em>Thriving in the 21st Century</em>:<br />
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<blockquote>You now know that the greatest amount of job growth is predicted in areas that don’t require college, that most kids who attend college don’t graduate in four years and many don’t graduate at all, that college is getting more expensive by the minute and that borrowing to pay those high college costs can have lifelong consequences. You also know now that having a college degree does not guarantee a high income…or any income at all.<br />
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Knowing these things, if you still think your child should go to college, please think hard about the following questions and whether you can answer “yes” to most of them: <br />
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• Is your child very intelligent and hardworking?<br />
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• Does your child have his/her heart set on a career that can only be accessed with a college diploma in hand?<br />
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• Of the careers that require at least some college education, is your child interested in one that offers the best return on the considerable college investment?<br />
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• Has your child thoroughly researched the chosen career, including talking to employers in the field to see what kind of education they require, and graduates in the chosen program to see if they’re a) employed and b) satisfied?<br />
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• Is your child’s choice of major/career one that’s likely to be in demand by employers? (Just because a college offers a major doesn’t necessarily mean that major is in demand by employers. There’s no correlation between number of majors and number of available jobs.)<br />
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• Is your child’s choice of major/career one that can be used in more than one industry? (Example: business administration)<br />
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• Is your child’s choice of major/career one that will be difficult or impossible to off-shore (as opposed to an area of study that’s currently being chosen by millions of smart young people from China and India)?<br />
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• Does your child’s chosen college or university have a reputation for academic excellence? <br />
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• Will your child be able to graduate debt-free? In an economy where wages are stagnating and periods of unemployment or time between careers is common, living debt-free will be a major asset as well as a source of emotional peace.<br />
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• If your child will need some student loan funding, does he or she plan to earn a degree that is likely to help them earn enough to pay back their debt within a few years (there are no guarantees)? <br />
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Regarding the last question, keep in mind that the debt will have to be paid back during a time when wages most likely will continue to stagnate. As a result, college loan repayments could eat up the lion’s share of your child’s future paychecks. <br />
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“Yes” answers to most of these questions indicate that you have a child who is motivated to go to college and willing to do what it takes to earn a degree in a field with good prospects for personal satisfaction as well as employment. If you don’t have enough money saved up for the entire four (or more) years, consider sending your child for two years of general education courses at a community college, after which your child can transfer to a four-year college. This is a time-honored plan, and for good reason: it saves a lot of money on tuition and room and board, plus you’ll send a more mature person off to college. Also, if your child’s chosen field of study will require graduate courses, the money you save by sending him/her to community college the first two years can help defray the cost of graduate studies later on.<br />
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If you can’t answer “yes” to most of the questions listed above, consider whether college is really the answer for your child. Try to ignore the common wisdom of the 20th century that was drummed into your head, the refrain that insisted that the only sure route to success requires a college diploma, because times have changed. </blockquote>So I'm not against college, but I think it's clear that college is not for everyone or even for most people. Between its high cost and the questionable need for a degree for employment in areas of job growth, there's a lot of evidence on my side, and it's piling up:<br />
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<a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-04-19/business/ct-biz-0420-malemployment-20110419_1_andrew-sum-new-jobs-graduates">More college grads are settling for low-wage jobs</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-student-loan-20110423,0,3642394.story">More college grads are having trouble paying back their student loans</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north975.html">An economist argues that college is not a bubble, it's a "tax-subsidized failure"</a><br />
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See what I mean?Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-87646747610749115532011-05-13T13:48:00.000-05:002011-05-13T13:48:00.149-05:00Accepting RealityI began writing <em>Thriving in the 21st Century</em> because I was trying to figure out what was going on as I watched the industry that my husband had worked in for 30 years move overseas, leaving him without work or an income. I also wanted to know how to prepare our children for this new economy we have found ourselves in.<br />
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Six years later, I'm ready for the future and I feel like my kids are prepared for it too. But I meet other parents who, once they start putting together the pieces of their own experiences and those of their friends and relatives, become pessimistic about what's going on and what it means for our children's future.<br />
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If that's how you feel, you need a dose of reality tinged with optimism. Check out Seth Godin's posts on this topic (<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/04/the-realization-is-here.html">Post 1</a> and <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/04/the-opportunity.html">Post 2</a>) and you'll feel better.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-48517594706771133992011-05-09T13:28:00.000-05:002011-05-09T13:28:00.183-05:00The Supposed College Advantage, UK-StyleOver in Great Britain, college is pushed as the way to make more money, just as it is here in the U.S. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1374022/Why-degrees-DO-pay-Graduates-earn-12k-year-higher-education.html">This article</a> is typical of the hype. What's really interesting, however, are the comments. People are finally realizing that in the new global economy, not everyone will need a college degree, and most people can't afford one.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-48604097120352882322011-05-04T15:28:00.000-05:002011-05-04T15:28:25.967-05:00Teaching Children to be Frugal: A Necessary Skill for the 21st Century(excerpted from <em><a href="http://www.thrivinginthe21stcentury.com/">Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality</a></em>)<br />
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‘Tis a Gift to Be Frugal <br />
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Good old Ben also praised frugality:<br />
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<blockquote>In short, the Way to Wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two Words, INDUSTRY and FRUGALITY: i.e. Waste neither Time nor Money, but make the best Use of both. He that gets all he can honestly, and saves all he gets (necessary Expences excepted) will certainly become RICH: If that Being who governs the World, to whom all should look for a Blessing on their honest Endeavors, doth not in his wise Providence otherwise determine.</blockquote>You’ll give your children a great advantage by training them to be frugal. The word “frugal” has negative connotations for some people, but even 200 years ago, smart people like Benjamin Franklin knew that being frugal is an asset. Let’s clarify what frugal means: being careful with expenditures, not buying things you don’t really need, and taking care of what you do have. It doesn’t mean being cheap; in fact, people who only buy cheap goods usually end up spending more time and money replacing those cheap goods when they fall apart. A frugal person can recognize quality, and knows that a quality item lasts much longer than its “cheap” counterpart. (See “Teaching Children to Recognize and Appreciate Quality” on page 364.)<br />
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To be frugal is to be thrifty. Thrift was once considered a positive attribute, falling out of favor when America became a society of consumers in the mid-20th century. But there are still frugal people around; their thriftiness helped some of them become rich.<br />
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Billionaire investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton and his wife began married life by living very frugally. They cut expenses as low as possible, bought used furniture (items no one else bid on) at auctions, and only ate at restaurants when they could eat dinner for 50 cents (this was during the 1930s). They did these things in order to stick to their goal of saving 50% of their income. In <em>The Templeton Plan</em>, co-author James Ellison explains,<br />
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<blockquote>The fact is, however, that John Templeton was not poor even then. He had a good income and a solid investment portfolio that was steadily growing. Some acquaintances might have regarded his approach to money, housing and the conveniences of life as somewhat eccentric, if not socially unacceptable. After all, the circles that Templeton, the investment counselor, frequented were characterized by big money, big houses, big cars, and big consumer spending in general. But Templeton was not one to live by society’s more superficial values. He followed his own inner dictates and his developing religious beliefs. footnote<br />
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And so a radical philosophy of thrift became a deeply rooted part of Templeton’s way of life. He became convinced that success was closely connected to saving, a belief that he has never stopped practicing.</blockquote>Templeton was not the only wealthy person whose fortune was due in part to thrift. In his ground-breaking books based on his study of American millionaires, Dr. Thomas J. Stanley wrote that despite the stereotype of the free-spending, luxurious millionaire lifestyle we see portrayed in movies and television shows, many millionaires are actually very careful about how they spend money. They also use strategies such as clipping coupons, refinishing and repairing possessions instead of buying everything new, and buying in bulk. In <em>The Millionaire Mind</em>, Dr. Stanley noted:<br />
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<blockquote>People in my audiences often ask why a millionaire would clip coupons. It’s not just to save fifty cents today—it’s how much can be saved and invested over a lifetime. The typical affluent family in America spends over $200 a week for food and household supplies. That’s more than $10,000 per year. During an adult lifetime in current dollars, it translates to between $400,000 and $600,000. If you cut off just 5 percent of this amount, between $20,000 and $30,000, and invest it in a top-ranked equity fund, given the rate of return during the past few years the amount earned would have been $500,000. (96)</blockquote>I’m not suggesting that all or even many of our children will become wealthy by being frugal (though if you teach your child to be frugal and he grows up to be a millionaire, he’ll handle the money better than most would). But the frugal millionaires Stanley studied illustrate the wisdom of being frugal and investing the money saved by being that way. <br />
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Teaching frugality to our children will benefit them once they’re grown up and making their way in the global economy. They’ll learn to live simply, thus experiencing less financial stress in the future. In a world where they’ll often be between jobs, frugality could make the difference between financial stability and financial trouble. As writer Charles Jaffe once said, “It’s not your salary that makes you rich, it’s your spending habits.”Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-12660278331528799352011-04-22T13:55:00.000-05:002011-04-22T13:55:00.826-05:00"The Economic Folly of a College Degree"Finally, more people are admitting that a college degree is not the guarantee for future success that so many people thought it was. Take <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/johntamny/2011/04/16/india-and-the-economic-folly-of-a-college-degree/">this op-ed piece</a>, for instance. The author explains that even citizens of other countries are seeing that a college degree does not make a person smart or hardworking. I'm glad to see that more writers are sharing this information because, as I explain in <em>Thriving in the 21st Century</em>, most of our children will not need a college degree in the new economy.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-58471036011113304412011-04-19T20:55:00.000-05:002011-04-19T20:55:45.064-05:00Book Site Up and RunningNow that <em>Thriving in the 21st Century</em> has been published, you can <a href="http://cardamompublishers.com/thrivinginthe21stcentury-excerpts.htm">read a couple of excerpts</a> from the book, view <a href="http://cardamompublishers.com/thrivinginthe21stcentury-toc.htm">the table of contents</a>, and learn more about the book itself <a href="http://www.cardamompublishers.com/thrivinginthe21stcentury.htm">right here</a>. Check it out!Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-61746631234193515432011-04-15T13:31:00.000-05:002011-04-15T13:31:00.262-05:00Teens' Unemployment Rate Now 25%Working teens get an education that they could never receive at school or home. They learn a variety of skills in addition to working for someone besides their parents. The pay is just a bonus. All teens should work.<br />
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But it's getting harder for them to find jobs. A recent study found that <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/42572175">1/4 of today's teens</a> ages 16-19 can't find work. This is a shame, as they're missing out on learning so many things that they'll need to know as adults.<br />
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If your teen can't find a job, encourage him or her to create a job by finding unmet needs in your neighborhood. Many a teen has made good money by washing cars, walking dogs or watering gardens.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-25730628465684570072011-04-12T13:58:00.002-05:002011-04-12T13:58:00.850-05:00Takers or Makers?In <em>Thriving in the 21st Century</em>, I ask the question, "Do you want your children to be producers or consumers?" This is a serious question. Given the changes in our economy, I think children trained to be producers will have the best chance of being able to support themselves as adults in the rapidly changing economy of the 21st century.<br />
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<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704050204576219073867182108.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">A recent article in <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> </a>makes the same point, but gets very specific about why this concept is so important, and how our economy has been negatively affected by the shift from production to consumption. Instead of referring to producers and consumers, the author refers to "takers" and "makers," but the basic concept is the same: an economy that primarily consists of consumers is doomed.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-70865369727936749032011-04-07T14:45:00.000-05:002011-04-07T14:45:54.478-05:00Now Available: Thriving in the 21st Century<em>Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality</em> is now available in print for $13.95 at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974218170?ie=UTF8&tag=cardampublis-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0974218170">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Thriving-in-the-21st-Century/Barbara-Frank/e/9780974218175/?itm=3&USRI=barbara+frank">Barnes and Noble</a>, as well as bookstores everywhere. <br />
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Here's a look at the Table of Contents:<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
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Section 1<br />
How the American World of Work Has Changed<br />
Technological Advances<br />
Off-shoring<br />
A Renewed Global Economy and Changing Living Standards<br />
Learning From the Past<br />
America’s History of Self-Sufficiency<br />
What About the Schools?<br />
Before We Begin<br />
Likely Future Trends in the World of Work<br />
Preparing Our Children for This New Economic Reality<br />
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Section 2<br />
The Seven Strengths Your Children Will Need to Thrive in the 21st Century<br />
Strength #1: Creativity and Innovation<br />
Strength #2: Entrepreneurial/Self-Starter<br />
Strength #3: Computer-Literate<br />
Strength #4: Communication Skills<br />
Strength #5: Empathy and Concern for Others<br />
Strength #6: Self-Sufficiency and Practical Skills<br />
Strength #7: Money Smarts<br />
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Section 3<br />
Giving Our Children the Advantages of the Seven Strengths<br />
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Section 4<br />
Careers<br />
College<br />
Self-Employment and Family Businesses<br />
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Conclusion<br />
What Schools Don’t Do<br />
What Parents Should Do<br />
What Parents Should Not Do<br />
What Parents Can Do<br />
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Appendix A: It’s OK for Children to Get Bored…Really!<br />
Appendix B: Teaching Children to Recognize and Appreciate Quality<br />
Appendix C: President Obama vs. the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<br />
Notes<br />
Index<br />
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Stay tuned for excerpts!Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284407047246718316.post-69164881901460695082011-04-05T14:01:00.002-05:002011-04-05T14:01:00.192-05:00Entrepreneurial Kids Finding SuccessThe high unemployment rate of the past few years has been particularly hard on teens, who are at the age where they're eager to get started on their working lives.<br />
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<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704662604576202473412495838.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal">These teens</a> decided to be proactive by starting their own businesses, and the results they've gotten will encourage <em>your</em> teens. Send them the article link; it may be just the inspiration needed to get going on a dream.Barbara Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10807130054711051887noreply@blogger.com2