by John McCormick, Our Guest of the Month

This month, my articles have focused on the joys and rewards of family storytelling. In my own home, I create interactive stories with my children, whereby each of us contributes an idea, a character, or a plot twist until we’ve woven together an entire tale. Storytelling, as we’ve discovered, is a great activity for building bonds between parent and child, stimulating a child’s imagination and creativity, and teaching children the power of words.

That’s great for younger kids, but what about teenagers? Does storytelling have to end when your child turns thirteen?  
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by John McCormick, Our Guest of the Month

… Please!   Just Five More Minutes!

… We’re almost done.

… We just need to finish this level!

Sound familiar?

Though there are many different parenting styles, many of us seem to share one common, overriding concern: how to limit the addictive influence video games can hold on our children’s lives.

In this month’s series advocating the benefits of family storytelling, one of my most frequently asked question is, how can storytelling possibly compete with video games? 
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by Our Nourishing Partner, Nourishrds

“So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed)”  ~ Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Not only can we learn so much from listening to the unbiased, unfiltered and innocent thoughts of children, we can also learn a lot from their storybooks.  Thank you, Dr. Seuss.

The Great Balancing Act is something that seems to get more difficult—rather than easier—as the years go on.  For the most part, children have it mastered.  They take time to sleep, eat, play, explore, learn, grow, laugh and cry.  As adults, we tend to lose that concept of balance.  We hardly even take the time to sit down and enjoy a well-balanced meal, let alone play.  Eating in your car doesn’t count. 
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by John McCormick, Our Guest of the Month

In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays an arrogant TV weatherman who, during a dreaded assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, finds himself living the same day over and over. Through trial and error, Bill learns to correct the mistakes he made the day before and escapes his time loop, redeeming himself in the process and winning the girl of his dreams.

Since Groundhog Day was only last week, it’s timely and appropriate to address a common complaint that bedevils all storytelling parents: what to do when your children ask you to repeat their favorite story night after night. 
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by Travis Mann, Our Latest Contributing Writer on Family Money

My wife, Chelsea, and I are proud first-time parents of our six-month-old newborn, Henry.  We are also both in the finance world.  I am a Financial Planner and Chelsea is a bookkeeper.  Anytime we get to talk about both families and finances we are happy campers, particularly for other parents starting out.

Although many would consider us both financial experts, we were NOT perfect at preparing financially for Henry.   However, I’d like to pass along six simple things we did learn (or should have done better):

1.    Save, Save, Save.

Babies are expensive.  While everyone knows this age-old truth, I would argue that your bundle of joy is the least expensive part of being a parent. 
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