The other night one of my daughter's was working on her budget. I tossed her an old one I had conjured up from the piles. She was studying it and then said, "You used to pay my Sallie Mae payment? humm"
At that moment this became clear to me...
Unknowingly, I took accountability out of my children's hands in the area of finances - thinking I was helping. I did not see that I was hindering. I felt I acted out of love, and yet here they are. I see my parents struggle too. It is not mean to say that like sex, finances were not talked about in the culture many of us oldies, growing up in farming communities grew up in.
I believe finance was something you only got to learn in college. Is it still true today? Yikes! Talk about a live long skill...
When Dave Ramsey talks about people changing their family tree... for me, he wants us to recognize why our spending habits are what they are and then fix ourselves. He wants us to recognize that habits of finance are learned behaviors and talking and living on a budget is the opt out for being ignorant with money. It is also the toughest to create in managing change.
Right now in our fallen economy, it is time for change. Teaching young adult children only works if they let you and modeling tough love is, and will always be, hard work. I'm not sure I'm grading myself with high marks.
sigh....Dave Ramsey has it right. I'm better than I deserve.
God is good and I find strength in believing.
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