Raising Financially Fit Kids

By Joline Godfrey

This combination parenting and personal finance book helps parents teach their children key money skills–such as saving, spending, budgeting, investing, building credit, and donating–that they’ll need to become financially secure adults.

Parents want their children to enjoy bright economic futures. But how do we equip the next generation with lifelong financial skills?

In this updated edition of Raising Financially Fit Kids, Joline Godfrey shares knowledge gleaned from two decades of preparing children and families for financial independence and stewardship, philanthropic effectiveness, and meaningful economic lives. At the heart of the book are three big ideas:
• Financial education is not just about the money; it’s
about building great families and raising self-confident kids who have the tools to realize their dreams.
• Financial sustainability means living within one’s means and acquiring skills to create and manage human and financial capital.
• Giving wisely is a global citizen’s responsibility.

Designed for parents, grandparents, mentors, advisors, and educators, Raising Financially Fit Kids uses ten core money skills applied across five developmental life stages: children, tweens, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and twenty-somethings. Each stage includes age-appropriate activities that make financial fitness fun, from mall scavenger hunts to financial film festivals.

In this global economic landscape, we all need financial fluency. Whether your child is five, fifteen, or twenty-five years old, it’s never too late to teach financial literacy. Raising Financially Fit Kids prepares your children for the complexities of living in a global economy and helps your family up your game from good to great.

Paperback, 224 pages. 6 x 9 inches.

Ten Speed Press

JOLINE GODFREY has been a pioneer in the field of financial education since 1990. Today she is one of the country’s foremost experts on kids, families, and money. Godfrey is founder and CEO of Independent Means, Inc., a leading provider of financial education for families. Recognized in features for the Today show, Oprah, Fortune, BusinessWeek, and the New York Times, Godfrey is a frequent speaker and consult-ant worldwide. She lives in Ojai, California. Visit www.independentmeans.com and follow her blog at www.independentmeans.com/imi/category/joline

Table Of Contents

Grace
Foreword by Jack Polsky
Preface to the Second Edition
Introduction
Financial Literacy Is Economic Self-Defense

Part One
Getting Started
Chapter 1: From Safety Nets to Self-Sufficiency
Chapter 2: Outwitting the Money Monsters

Part Two
The Financial Apprenticeship
Chapter 3: Stage One: Ages 5–8: I’m Just a Kid
Chapter 4: Stage Two: Ages 9–12: Encouraging Passions
Chapter 5: Stage Three: Ages 13–15: Breaking Away
Chapter 6: Stage Four: Ages 16–18: Standing Tall
Chapter 7: Stage Five: Ages 19+: Never Too Late

Part Three
Side Trips
Chapter 8: Raising Young Philanthropists
Chapter 9: It’s Not Just About the Kids
Chapter 10: Frequently Asked Questions

Reviews

“If we could, we’d bring Joline Godfrey into our home for weekly lessons teaching our kids how to manage money. This book is the next best thing. Joline’s ability to help parents and kids align their financial actions with their values is truly unparalleled.”
-Joan King, head of Atlanta Girls’ School, and Kevin Salwen, author of The Power of Half

“Few parents had the benefit of the kind of financial education that kids require to be economically independent and safe in our dynamic world. Godfrey’s book provides straightforward advice about how to prepare children to make financial decisions aligned with your family’s means, values, and aspirations—while giving parents a hand in building their own level of financial fluency. No one is better suited than Godfrey to advise parents about how to raise children able to make financial decisions and build productive fulfilling lives.”
-Linda A. Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration and Faculty Chair, Leadership Initiative, Harvard Business School

“Invest in your family’s future today! Use Godfrey’s wisdom to help your children develop the social and financial skills to responsibly manage the fruits of their success.”
– Stuart E. Lucas, chairman of Wealth Strategist Partners and author of Wealth: Grow It and Protect It