European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 8, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 stars and stripes sunday april 8 2007 your Money making finances kid stuff often pays off workshops recommended to help teens learn How to appreciate value of Money by Chris Fowler stars and stripes Yokosuka naval base Japan a 32car pileup might be a Good metaphor to describe Many a persons financial past financial literacy like Reading is an acquired skill that should be taught at an Early age unfortunately it remains a critical missing piece from Many childrens Educa Tion but it Doest have to be one expert says if s unrealistic to expect that kids will just figure ouf Money for themselves said Laura Levine executive director of the jump Start coalition for personal financial literacy in an email to stars and stripes according to its web site jump Start found that the average High school graduate lacks Basic skills in personal finance manage ment and most have no insight into the Basic survival principles involved with earning spending Sav ing and investing we dont hand them the keys to the car and say see if you can Fig ure out How to drive it Levine said Money management is a skill and you can certainly teach yourself some of it but financial education helps to make sure that kids learn Well and learn right photo illustration by Chris and stripes financial literacy for children combines the ideas of responsible spending and saving to allow children to avoid monetary Pitfalls later in life its unrealistic to expect that kids will just figure out Money for themselves said Laura Levine executive director of the coalition for personal financial literacy tips for teaching Here Are some tips from financial experts at Yokosuka Navy Fleet and family service Center save 10 percent of each teach your Chil Dren that  have Money for a Rainy Day establish a spending plan and stick to it know where your Money is coming from and where it is going children need to learn about How consumer credit companies entice people to use plastic to live beyond their Means get the children involved in the family spending plan let them catch you in the act of paying Bills you can show your Chil Dren an online budgeting system that turns your checking account into a visual playground at  it is fun and it will help your kids gain a understanding of what it Means to budget your income if a child overspend his allowance do not give any More teach your children to live within their Means according to Levine teaching Young people How to manage their personal finances should go along with teaching the importance of values and a Good work ethic were All naturally pretty Good spenders and the Advertis ing world makes sure that we keep those skills honed Levine said i think that in general most people including most kids need to focus on not spending the importance of saving levines goal and that of jump Start is to teach children How to manage their Money before they make any serious mistakes and have to live with the consequences Progress is being made Levine said explaining that Many parents Are catching on i purchased savings Bonds for my daughter when she was born said Navy Parent Martha Mulvany now Ive enrolled her in some finance classes for Chil Dren so she will understand Why i want her to invest the Money from her Bonds into an individual retirement account and children will catch on mul Vany believes children Are so much More in tuned with Mutual funds and cd than we were As children and i dont mean music cd she said so Many children could easily be millionaires when they grow older if they would Start investing in a Mutual fund now for Many parents the reason for making financial literacy a priority int because their children have done anything wrong but rather because they dont want their children to have to learn about Money the hard Way by making mistakes Lydia Woodbury says it is important that her children learn smart spending and savings habits be fore they go out into the world and have to do it for real if they learn what to do now it will carry Over into adulthood Woodbury said i wish someone had taken the time to teach me about finances when i was younger i could have accomplished so much More email Chris Fowler at mint on the Pillow family in Tow hotels spot trend support business trips that now include spouses children Denis Deanna Barrett plays with her Smon Thold daughter Ava in her room at Loews Coro Nado Bay resort in Coronado Calif last month the hotel provided the baby chair and two cribs to help Deanna and her Hus band Kurt during their business trip stay by Candice Choi the associated press on a recent business trip to san Diego Kurt Barrett took his family to sea world Between the banquet dinners and panel discussions on agricultural policy he also took his 5monthold daughter swimming for the first time in the hotel Pool another Day they strolled through the humid Botan ical gardens in Balboa Park it was like being at Home i got done with work then enjoyed spending time with my wife and child said Barrett a 30yearold general manager for a Rice distributor in Williams Calif work is very important but there has to be a balance Barrett said travelling for work once meant sacrificing precious time away from Home but As the american workplace becomes More flexible about letting employees juggle their duties with family me people like Barrett Are finding it easier to bring their spouse and kids wherever their jobs May take them according to the National business travel association 62 percent of us business travellers said they add a Leisure Compo nent to at least one business trip per year among those travellers two thirds say they bring a family member or Friend with them pushing the trend is the growing num Ber of single parents women in executive ranks two income families and those Sim ply looking to save a Buck by turning com pan paid trips into working vacations people Are having kids later in life too meaning there More Likely to be Comfort Able enough in their careers to blend work and family that blurring Between office and family life represents a sea change from a Genera Tion or two ago when children were told bothering their parents with a phone Call at work could get mom or dad in trouble that not the Case today theres a realization that work has encroached so much on private time that there needs to be some give and take said Nancy Ahlrichs president of Etc strategies a human re sources consulting firm in Indianapolis in fact Many business conventions today court attendees by trumpeting babysitting services and family outings the trend became More pronounced after the sept 11 terrorist attacks As the hotel Industry struggled to recover by offering More incentives to get people on the Road again smart conference planners realized a Good vacation spot could Spur attendance Ahlrichs said hotels Are stepping up family Friendly services too at least in part to Cater to the changing convention big moneymaker for the Industry when the Barretts arrived at the Loews hotel in san Diego they found waiting in their suite a crib baby swing and cd full of lullabies for their infant daughter the gear was made available through the hotels partnership with Fishe Price inc launched this year when you have very Young kids they require a tremendous amount of gear you have to bring along said Emily Gold fish or a spokeswoman for the new Yor based hotel Chain Here they have a place to leave an infant in a swing or a play pen they dont have to worry about bringing All that along the hotel which generates about half its sales through conventions also contracts with a babysitting Agency and serves baby food at its restaurants at checking teens get backpacks filled with a water bottle and brochures younger toys Are Given a toy see child Friendly on Page 29