Weekly Roundup: Sink Or Swim Edition
Our kids are in the process of learning to swim. It is something we probably put off too long, but that we’ve become more dedicated to both as a survival skill and a form of summertime entertainment. Teaching kids to swim takes a lot of patience, a virtue I was not born with, but one I’ve tried to cultivate over time.
Things like having kids young, coaching youth soccer, and settling down to write all help develop patience, and it’s a good thing because patience is a key factor in financial success. The most serious screw-ups I’ve committed with money were made when I moved too fast. When not teaching the doggy-paddle, or how to float on your back, to the kids in my spare time, I managed to run across a few excellent posts this past week.
The Fab Five
Can You Survive As a One Income Family? Yes, we’ve been doing it for over ten years now. But living on one income is not easy, and it requires a tremendous sacrifice. (@ The Wisdom Journal)
Retired at 31: An Early Retirement Story. I read these stories and wish I could go back to 20 years-old and have a mulligan. If I only knew then what I know now. Still, I find these posts to be extremely inspiring for those in their early twenties because it is a decade of so much opportunity!(@ Million Dollar Journey)
Junky Car Club. Cool idea here. Register your “junky” car here and agree to use at least some of what you used to pay for a car payment for charity. (@Stiletto Money Online)
15 Ways To Get Started On Snowflaking. The idea of “snowflaking” is one of the best ways to get out of debt. I’ve used it to pay off thousands of dollars of debt in small increments of micro-payments from various side hustles. Believe me; they add up over time! (@The Simple Dollar)
Poor Man Wins Lottery – Will it Help or Hurt Him? After any sizable lottery winnings the media instantly reports all those who have been cursed by the winnings. I still believe the idea that it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. Money alone is simply a tool. (@Money Help For Christians)
Best of the Rest
- SEP IRA: Self-Employed Retirement Plans
- Four Simple Ways To Make The Most Of Your Day
- Keep Your Kids Busy Without Breaking the Bank This Summer
- How To Win a Race in Last Place
- Three Quick Tips For Getting Ahead In Life
- How To Be A Millionaire: Start Thinking Like One
- Is the 401(k) Broken? I’m Not So Sure
- The Four(ty) Hour Workweek
- Where Is Gold Heading To?
- Shopping List For A Newborn Baby
And as the old adage goes, “good things come to those who wait”. The other one of my favourites is “patience is a virtue”.
The good thing is, for those of us who have patience and can wait, we reap the rewards in the long run. I can’t wait until I’m retired too
Wow, a great round up this week! I have so many windows open now. Thanks!
Thanks for including my post! I enjoyed the visit to your blog.
Oh YAY for teaching your children how to swim! I’m a former lifeguard who saw far too many adults who didn’t know how to swim – because they “were never near the water”. Doesn’t matter – you can always get caught unawares, without a life jacket, and you NEED this basic skill. Good luck!
Many local resources offer free or low-cost options for children’s swimming lessons.
Your own approach to teaching will either enhance or detract from your kids’ experience. You may want to consider having someone else teach the kids.
Everyone in our family learned to drive,for example, from someone outside the family. This came AFTER the disastrous teaching attempts by parents and siblings.
Sometimes, it makes sense to have an outside party take on the teaching, whether swimming or something else. Even if you are say, a very good swimmer or driver.
Teaching requires more than patience and many a kid has failed to learn well and/or had unnecessary issues with parents that got in the way of learning.
If it’s about them learning in a way that works best for them, then it won’t be about YOU needing to teach them.
Just a thought.
@IRG: Very good point! The kids are actually taking lessons, and we are reinforcing (gently) the same drills at a family member’s pool. The danger in this is that sometimes you can “undo” things the trainer has taught, so we keep it fun for the most part.
GREAT that your kids are learning to swim. I’m 50 and I don’t know how. My mom would always tell me I could drown in a tablespoon of water.
And i believed her
*sigh*
Great round-up!
Thanks for the love.