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CHILDREN AND MONEY: A Guide for Parents by Grace W. Weinstein

CHILDREN AND MONEY: A Guide for Parents

By

Pub Date: March 31st, 1975
Publisher: Charterhouse -- dist. by McKay

In an age of affluence coupled with materialism; and child-centeredness coupled with permissiveness, it's almost inevitable -- what can you do if your child is seized with an attack of ""the gimmies?"" Weinstein, a specialist in money management as well as child development, offers commonsensical advice to deal with those situations which are, after all, fraught with emotional connotations for all parties; and a wealth of sociological data on things like the $26.2 billion that eight- to nineteen-year-olds spent in 1972 and the 640,000 commercials (""Tell Mommy to buy. . ."") they will see before graduation from high school. She begins with nursing and toilet training, then explains the importance of dinner-table conversation, and outlines the mechanics of treating an allowance as a businesslike learning tool (start with 25¢ weekly up to monthly, then quarterly expenses for the college student) that will satisfy emotional needs as well as financial ones. The emphasis is on putting people before possessions -- values more easily confused by a child than you might think. Her guidelines are as clear as they are sound and could be an invaluable reference for those sticky moments when you have to choose between giving your child the security of instant gratification or teaching him the independence of earning and budgeting.