"MOM! DAD! Can I have $20 to buy a new game? Can I have some money to go to the movies with my friends? Will you buy me some candy? Can I have…?? Will you buy…???"

How many times have you heard things like this? Whether you have young kids, teens or maybe even grown children, at some point or another you’ve probably felt like their personal ATM. And the reality is, most parents give in to their kids’ requests.

That’s why it’s so refreshing to see parents raising their children to understand the importance of work and being wise with money.

I saw a post on Facebook earlier this week from Heidi, the precious wife of one of our amazing team members here at DaniJohnson.com. Heidi and Jonathan have 6 kids, and they are doing a PHENOMENAL job of grooming them for success.

This young mother said, "My girls (4 and 6) were talking this morning about getting their ears pierced and buying earrings, and my 8-year-old said, ‘You need to come up with a way to make money so you can buy those things and not use Mom’s money. You can learn to do something that would help someone else, and they would pay you to do it.’"

Can you imagine if you overheard this conversation in your home?

How many 8-year-olds do you know who have this mindset? Imagine if, next time your children want to buy something, they decided to work to earn the money. Would you be a little shocked? Relieved? Proud?

Earlier this week, in a different post Heidi said her 8- and almost-12-year-old boys are offering their car cleaning and detailing services in order to make their own money.

WOW! These kids are NOT using their parents as an ATM. They are not growing up expecting their parents to buy everything for them or give them everything they want.

Instead, they are learning from an early age to make money by finding a need and filling it. They are learning how to take initiative and solve problems, which will position them for success for the rest of their lives.

Imagine if you had been taught how to make money and to work hard with a good attitude when you were young? Life would be so much easier now, wouldn’t it? Or maybe you are one of the few who were taught at an early age. Look how that has impacted your adult life!

This young couple is using the principles of Grooming the Next Generation for Success in their home, and their kids have heard this training as well. Not only that, but the kids have "caught" it from the wonderful example Jonathan and Heidi have set.

Your children are watching you, and they will do what you do. Take some time today to think about the example you are setting. How do you spend money? How do you talk about work? Do the words, "I don’t want to go to work today" ever come out of your mouth? What about "I can’t afford it"?

You, as a parent, have an obligation and a moral responsibility to groom your kids for success. Besides, I know you do not want to be the ATM Mom or Dad for the rest of your life. You certainly do not want to have a 30-year-old child living in your basement and still asking you for some cash to go out with his friends.

The bottom line is kids NEED to learn how to work and make money. They must learn how to be wise financially and in every area of their lives. Your kids are watching you and they will do what they see you do.

Jonathan and Heidi are an incredible example of this. They are setting their children up for a lifetime of financial success. Follow their example today, and help your friends, family and community to do the same! Share this message on Facebook and Twitter, or even simply forward this link!

In great faith,

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