Teaching Kids Personal Life Management

Posted byAbPosted inADHD, adoption, FASD, Financial Literacy, growth mindset, Parenting, schoolTags:, , ,

My friends and I, now in our 40s, think fondly about a class that we took 30 years ago in Grade 9, which remains one of the most useful classes ever.

“Personal Life Management,” or PLM for short, covered practical life skills, including financial literacy, through reflective discussions, journaling and assignments.

I thought about PLM when I read a CBC article about universities introducing “Adulting 101” classes to help Gen Z students catch up on key life skills.

My first reaction was “that’s great!” It was then followed by “why wait until university?”

T’s class recently had a guest talk to them about financial literacy. His awesome CYW shared that some of T’s classmates have bank accounts and suggested we open one for T.

I thought it was a great idea. It reminded me of Ma. We did not have much growing up. My parents worked hard and scraped and saved so my sister and I could have a better life.

Ma taught me early on about hard work and saving. She worked as a bank teller in her later years. She helped me open a savings account at a young age and got me started contributing to a retirement savings plan when I was in high school; the latter of which I’ll forever be thankful for. She taught me to never live beyond my means.

I thought about Ma when the hubby and I took T to the bank on a recent weekend to open a bank account; how life is a circle with me now in Ma’s shoes.

It would’ve been easier for me to go to the bank by myself, but it was important for T to see the process, including meeting the bank manager and to ask questions he may have.

He sat mostly patiently for the 30-minute appointment.

A week later, his bank card arrived in the mail and I took T to the bank to activate his pin, which I told him to guard with great privacy, and to deposit money sitting in his piggybank.

He had fun inserting his card into the ATM. I explained the terms deposit, withdraw and interest – and said that if he only remembered one thing it’s that he should always deposit more than he withdraws from the bank.

Afterwards, he helped me run grocery errands at four stores, including picking up his medication at the pharmacy. Aside from pissing me off at a crowded self checkout line, he did very well and was quite helpful!

From all that I’ve read over the years about individuals with FASD, life skills such as managing time and money are often challenging – as they relate to executive functioning skills, which is one of T’s impairments, as identified in his FASD diagnosis.

So I’m especially mindful and attentive to building these practical life skills with him at an early age and pray to God that something sticks with enough repetition over time.

As I always remind myself and T, one step at a time; sometimes, you have to repeat – at the expense of his Papa’s thread-thin patience and sanity.

His CYW texted us this week to let us know T shared his banking news with her. She wrote, “So he’s only going to spend your money and save his.”

I think I need to finetune my messaging. 😂

We went for our first bike ride of the year this morning. T encountered these lovelies along the way.

45 thoughts on “Teaching Kids Personal Life Management”

  1. OH! T got the message! LOL – smart kid! and smart parents to instill financial intelligence at a young age, as your Ma did for you! I absolutely agree with your comment, “Why wait for college?” This should be taught each year – practical living skills are as key to survival in this world as the traditional subjects – and as always, you gave me a laugh -” I think I need to fine-tune my messaging. 😂” – V

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    1. Thanks Vickie. Glad I made you laugh. We gotta find humour in this crazy life we have. 😆🥰 I’m glad to see some of this back-to-basics education in our schooling.

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    1. Thanks Hazel. Such an important skill, especially for a kid with additional needs. Will be importantly to build financial literacy and discipline from an early age!

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    1. Thanks Gary and I agree. 😊 I think the early settlers had it right with the things that were taught to kids and at even more compressed timelines!

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  4. What a great idea! T will be as grateful for those lessons as you are with Ma’s guidance, specially regarding a retirement account. I wish I was introduced to it earlier.

    It looks like T is doing great… such a joy to read that! Blessings!

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    1. Thanks Ana! I sure hope so. 😊 I know as an accountant, you can appreciate the importance of financial literacy. I also appreciate your kind words about T. He has certainly continued to grow. 🙏

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    1. Thanks Brian! 😊 We can call the class Older Adulting 101. 😆

      I’m a bit sore from all the biking on Sunday but in the happiest of ways. I always follow him from behind to keep an eye on him and I love seeing the freedom of riding and the joy that silently emanates from him because of it. 💕

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  7. My MIL has said the kids in school should be taking life skills ever since I met her almost 40 years ago. We taught both our kids about the same with balancing a checkbook, money and retirement. More people should teach their kids as you are doing with T. What fun it will be the first time he withdraws his hard earned money to buy a toy. Kudos to you two for teaching T so well. I wish more people were like you!

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    1. Your MIL was onto something. I remember taking shop and family studies (cooking, sewing) in middle school. We need to return to these classes as they are just as important as academic subjects, and also a lot of fun too!

      T said he’s not withdrawing any money until he’s 20. 😂 But definitely I agree with you there will be a time in the near future where he will need to withdraw money from his bank to pay for something he wants. It’ll hopefully then teach him about the value of things.

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  8. That picture of T with the animals is priceless. As is his takeaway, “His CYW texted us this week to let us know T shared his banking news with her. She wrote, “So he’s only going to spend your money and save his.””

    Very clever – you’ve got to admit! 🙂 Such a good lesson to teach!

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    1. He’s smart… and a smart ass! 😆 So quick with his comebacks and retorts. 🤣

      Those dogs were so cute and the owner was so patient and let him play with his dogs for a good 15 minutes or so.

      Hope you have a nice week ahead. It’s a PA Day for T this Friday so the week is just whizzing by. 🙏

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  9. Oh wow! I wish we had something like PLM class here in Indonesia. How heartwarming to know that you taught T what your mother had taught you, although the message T gets still needs to be finetuned. 😂 But I’m sure little things like this will help T navigate his adulthood.

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    1. Thanks Bama. 😊 I remember Asian schools being heavily focused on academic subjects and less so on the pragmatic life skills. Maybe it’s changed now too? But it’s so so needed, regardless of where one is in the world. And let’s hope T is off to a good path. 🙏

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  10. What a great idea about that PLM class! It should be taught by school systems all over. I didn’t have such a class in school. Thankfully, my mom and grandparents passed down the lessons of saving. I really like how you describe taking part in a cycle, as you’re teaching T what your mom taught you. Valuable lessons! As is taking a break from a bike ride to hang out with wonderful dogs 🌞

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    1. Thanks Dave! 😊 Our current Education minister – whose conservative policies I tend to disagree with – does have one thing I sort of agree with: a return to back-to basics education with a focus on things like math and financial literacy. I say sort of agree, because they’re also coming after arts education. We could all benefit from some of these life management skills.

      And glad you had wonderful examples in your mom and grandparents too. Such true and valuable gifts. 🙏

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  11. Traditionally, students lived in the homes of their teachers and life skills were an integral part of what they were taught . Should be brought in as a basic part of learning

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    1. Thanks Ananda. 😊 I find the concept of students living with their teachers to be fascinating. I didn’t know this was a thing! But I can also see how it’d be very valuable. 🙏

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  12. I couldn’t help but smile at how your Ma got you started on saving for retirement in high school! It’s great that you were taught the basics of saving at such a young age. Your Ma was a smart lady! It’s great that you’re passing along that wisdom to T and went with him to open up a bank account. I’ll have to do the same with M when she’s a bit older.

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    1. Thanks Linda. 😊 I’m very thankful for my parents lessons and also for the fact that we had a modest upbringing. It makes me value so much of what we have today. 🙏 And I know you’ll have a similar fun time ahead with introducing financial literacy with M. 🥰

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  14. Yes, why wait? When I taught 5th and 6th grades, I taught my students how to write checks and how to keep a check register. I had a student store where they could purchase items. Of course, I made them do the math. 😊 If they wanted to purchase something, I only accepted checks (not real ones of course). Kids couldn’t get their items until they wrote the check correctly and updated their balance in their check register.

    Kids love learning skills they will need as adults.

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    1. Whoa! I would’ve loved a teacher and a class like you, Pete. 😊 What a brilliant idea to teach math and financial literacy. So so good, Pete. I bet your students look back at this experience with fond memories. You’re an exception rather than the norm, in the best of ways!

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    1. Thanks Beth. 😊 I hope he will view it as a gift one day in the same way I view my parents’ lessons as a gift today as an adult. 🙏 Yes, his strategy is brilliant if not cutthroat. 😂

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    1. Thanks Margie. 😊 I had to laugh at the “it mostly worked” comment. As parents, we don’t need perfection and the mostly worked will mostly work for me too! 😊😆

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  19. Kids need help setting up their first bank account, riding a bike, driving a car etc .. what you tell them gets lost in the shuffle. But it doesn’t matter. T is watching you and he will copy you as he gets older – your values, your habits, your priorities. The important things.

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    1. Thanks AnneMarie. 😊 This is a lovely and reassuring comment.

      Also sending you my best. I seem to recall you’re in the Winnipeg area. I hope you’re not impacted by the wildfires. 🙏

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