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With our economic incentive checks on the way, it’s appropriate time to talk with your kids about money especially since many kids don’t have a clue. Either they think that ATMs are “magic money machines.” (I wish.) Or they think you have no money because you keep saying, “I don’t have the money for that!” when you don’t want to buy something they want.

I recently came across this attitude myself when Lucie said, “Mom, the next time you have some money, can you buy me fruit cups?” I told her, I always have money for healthy snacks.

Here are some book recommendations to get a dialog started about money, spending and saving:

• Bunny Money  by Rosemary Wells for ages four to six. Max and Ruby spend so much on emergencies while shopping for Grandma’s birthday presents, that they just barely have enough money left for gifts. Your child can help count along by keeping track of Ruby’s money. Wells puts an illustration of Ruby’s and its dwindling contents at the bottom of each page where a transaction occurs. Also, parents can photocopy and cut out the “bunny money” on the endpapers. This way children can count out each purchase. I love that you get a great Rosemary Wells story, get to hang out with Max and Ruby, and get to count and play shopping with them. 
• The New Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids, Revised and Updated Edition for ages 9 to 12 was originally written by 11-year-old Arthur Bochner and his mom, financial planner Adriane G. Berg. It has been praised as a terrific introduction to money for kids. Arthur is now 24 and has teamed up with his sister, Rose, to update this guide to the basics of saving, investing, working, and taxes. Topics covered include budgets, investing, credit cards, using the Internet, and paying for college.

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This week, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s oldest and largest children and families’ literacy nonprofit organization, is celebrating Reading Is Fun Week, which was started in 1979 to mark the start of summer reading. The RIF website provides free resources to help families celebrate Reading Is Fun Week including a day-by-day children’s activity calendar for each day of the week.

Summer’s Just Around the Corner

Summer, huh? Well, I don’t know what’s going on in your school district, but this week is my children’s last real week of school. Next week it’s clean up time, field day, parties and preschool graduation.

Like me you may be in a slight panic thinking, What am I going to do with these kids all summer? Thank goodness there are such things as library summer reading programs, summer camps, visits to parks, zoos, and the rec center, and playgroups with friends.

Lucie will be attending a preschool summer camp three days a week. I have Nathan enrolled in several mini-camps at his school, including a book club and a writing club. He’ll also be learning American Sign Language and the principal (who’s also our town’s mayor) will be taking a group of kids to the state capitol building in Denver for a field trip.

Both kids will be participating in a week-long soccer camp and a career day at school. Plus, I’ve signed them up to help with a community service project that two teachers are supervising.

We’ll be doing some camping as a family, too, and before we know it August 18 - the first day of school - will be here. Then I’ll have two kids in school full time. I’m so exited!

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As a parent, you’re probably concerned about your child’s education and health. So every time you step into your local mass retailer to buy a toy, you wonder if the toys are really safe (lead paint, anyone?), if they’ll fall apart after a few weeks, or if they’re truly educational as the manufacturer claims.

If that describes you, let me introduce you to KoboldToys.com, a fantastic online toy store. Kobold Toys was started by Carmina Valdizan as a brick and mortar toy store in Panama. Her partner, Ana Eiras, a mom, launched the U.S. based online store in March 2008. (You can read more about their startup at the WomenHomeBusiness.com.)

In the days of toy recalls, Carmina and Ana search all over the world for toys that are high quality, safe, and have high educational value. They also carry unusual toys that are hard to find anywhere else, and are on the lookout for brands that are eco-friendly.

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