advice for you parents of young children out there

"THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE YOUR CHILDREN

IS TO GIVE THEM THE SKILLS NEEDED

TO SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN"

I love this saying.

While at the dentist this week, Dr. Breaud

caught up with my life.

He is the best dentist because although I only

see him twice a year, he remembers me

and personal things about me.

I shared that I had become a Mumsie since I saw

him last and that baby girl was now on her own

living her life.

He asked me how old she was now and I told him

21 and we were so proud of her because aside

from a little financial help with school

she was really "on her own"

working hard to pay her bills and live her life.

He was surprised by this.

I then shared that Baby boy had not only been on his

own by 21 but had finished college, owned his own home

and since that age we had never had to help him

in any way financially.

Dr. Breaud shared how unusual that is in today's world.

I hadn't really thought about it much but after he brought

it to my attention it made me very proud.

Proud that the babies at such a young age could take

care of themselves, proud that HOBL and I did not

always give them what they wanted and insisted

that they work at an early age,

showed them what a checking account was and how

to balance their money.

Proud that we had them borrow money at an early age

so as to build their credit.

It wasn't always easy telling the babies no to something

they really wanted or telling them to

"save their money"

especially when we were the odd parents back then.

The hardest part of having grown children is realizing

that they must live their lives in the way they see fit.

That I have no right to question or put demands on them

that I think are important when I am not ever asked

for money or that advice that I sometimes think they

want. I try to follow the motto that when they are financially

independent I have no right to tell them how to live their lives.

I am not perfect at it, but am getting better every day.

So my advice to you parents of young children

is the quote above.

It's a good feeling to know that no matter what happens to you

your children will survive, it is the very best gift

I think HOBL and I have ever given our babies.