COMPLAISANT is FALL! straight A's, learning should be inherently rewarding. Brib- ing children to do well scho- lastically strips them of a sense of achievement and panders to their greed. It can also set up a frustrating sys- tem in a home where a child of average intelligence works hard for C's and a bright child, who studies little, easi- ly earns top marks. - Avoid linking an allowance to chores. One mother tells of her frustrating experience when she tied her 9-year-old daughter's allowance to tak- ing on more responsibility around the house. "I found my resentment building when the chores weren't done," she explains. "Finally, my daugh- ter said, 'Listen, I'm not real- ly interested in money, so why should I do the chores?' " The allowance was put on hold, but not the chores. Establish a specific time for handing out an allowance and stick to it. Children, like adults, spend most of their money on weekends, so distri- bute allowances on a Sunday or Monday. Giving them funds early in the week allows them to think about how they'll spend it and teaches them to wait for what they want. If they run out of money and ask for more before the week is over, don't cave in unless circumstances warrant it. Barring dire straits, refuse an advance — it's a relatively simple way for the young to learn how to manage money. Define the purpose of an allowance. In some homes, children may spend it as they please; in others, they have to use at least part of it for lunch money. The variations are endless. An allowance should be increased yearly because kids' needs grow as they do, and inflation will cut into their buying power. Paying For Extra Jobs In addition to a weekly allowance, some parents urge their children to work in order to earn extra money and en- joy the satisfaction of having done so. "It's important to connect the _idea of work and fulfill- ment," says Carol S., the mo- ther of two teen-age daugh- ters. "It's also a reality that work supplies the money that sustains our needs and our wants. Children, like adults, don't like asking for money, so there is nothing wrong with encouraging them to be financially independent. But while I feel strongly that children should learn how to handle money responsibly, I also believe they shouldn't let it consume their lives." When children are too young to work outside the home, paying them to do chores they aren't regularly responsible for is a fair way for them to earn supplemen- tal funds. Whether they clean the garage, weed the lawn or shovel snow from the drive- way, parents and children should agree in advance upon what the job entails and what will be paid. This is the genesis of understanding the money-to-labor ratio. But don't go overboard or kids will expect to be paid for everything they do! Pay young children by the job, not by the hour. They find it difficult to relate a chore to time but can relate it to money. Also, paying by the hour penalizes the effi- cient child and rewards the pokey one. Evaluate job per- formance, keeping expecta- tions as high as the children's abilities will allow. When the work is done well, lavish children with praise, which promotes pride in accomplish- ment. Family Finances As children get older, they need to understand the fami- ly's lifestyle is commensurate with its means. This may make it easier for a high school freshman to accept the fact that his parents can't af- ford the $80 sneakers "all the other kids are wearing." It might even encourage him to work after school to earn the extra money needed for the sneakers. Children of prosper- ous parents should also learn the dollars they spend are the result of a great deal of effort. Don't hide money problems from youngsters. Kids are sensitive to stress in the fami- ly. Often they become tense and frightened, frequently imagining far worse fates for themselves and their parents than a temporary shortage of cash. Neil K., an investment advisor, believes money mat- ters should be a part of din- ner conversations, along with world affairs and what's hap- pening in school. Lump Sum Gifts When children receive a substantial cash gift, a deci- sion should be made as to its dispersal. "Don't put large sums of money in the hands of children — even children over 21," warns a financial planner and father of five. "I have found that in most cases, large sums are com- pletely dissipated within seven years:' Instead, he advises parents to take their children to the bank to open a savings ac- count. "By using the gift as seed money for an interest- bearing account, you're in- Tons Of JEANS GIRBAUD • EDWIN • CAVARICCI • FARLOW • BIG JOHN • BIG STAR • AGNELLI Sweaters, Blazers, Outfits by Famous Makers FALL HAPPENING! 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