Money = Freedom

This school year has been, overall, a great year. Initially, I wondered what it would be like for Jay's teacher, a man, to interact with our little think tank-diva day in and day out, but I knew it would be interesting.

Not long after the school year started I discovered that Jay's teacher, Mr. S., had really picked up on Jay's personality and that definitely excited me. Knowing that Mr. S. saw that Jay was more than capable of taking on more challenging work, and that he was willing to push her just hard enough to help her blossom, allowed me to see the rare trait of a teacher who is truly passionate about his work.

At our last parent-teacher conference, Babe and I laughed at the different scenarios Mr. S. presented to us and how Jay reacted at the time. Our daughter, without question, is her father's child. When I say that I mean: she's a thinker, she loves a challenge, she's a bit of a know-it-all, and things come to her pretty easily. Her father is the same way and to hear it from someone who's only known our daughter a few months is very telling. It tells me that Mr. S. pays attention. I liken his teaching ability to a fly on the wall because he has picked up on so much about Jay that it seems he'd have to be everywhere she is without her noticing.

That said, Mr. S. suggested we enroll Jay in a summer camp through the Young Americans Center for Financial Education. Obviously, he has seen that Jay is aware of the importance and power of money. At a very early age (3 or 4) Jay told my Mom, "Money gives you freedom." So if this organization's summer camp doesn't fit my daughter's personality, I don't know what does! If she can attend every summer I think she'll have a great foundation in financial understanding.

This camp excites me because it seems a good introduction to understanding money and owning your own business. A wise friend once told me, "Don't send your kids to college so they can get a job; send your kids to college so they can become entrepreneurs!" And this is one little girl who will likely do just that - like father like daughter!