Read Shane Barkley’s Dad Cents book to learn how to teach your children about money, but watch out. You just come away from it committed to improving your own financial future as well as your relationship with your kids.
When I first heard about Dad Cents, I was excited at the possibility of a book that offers dads some solid financial advice that is based on Biblical principals, advice that can passed down to their children through purposeful teaching. When it comes to preparing their children to go out in a world filled with money and credit, parents don’t often know where to begin or even how.
As Barkley says, often we don’t slow down enough to consider all of our options. That is true both in basic financial decisions and parenting choices. This book is a nice blend of good advice in both areas, and it is all based on the Word of God, the ultimate source of good teaching.
God commands us to be good stewards of our money and actually tells us how to do it, if we look closely enough. Dad Cents can be the wake up call that many dads (and moms) need. The author offers explanation for these guiding principals and then tells us how to put them into practice in our modern world, a world where outside influences loudly proclaim their own values related to money. Having a firm foundation is so important to the health of our families.
Make no mistake, if you are familiar with Dave Ramsey and his Financial Freedom University, you won’t find too much new information here. But don’t let that prevent you from picking up Dad Cents. There is value to be gained, including step by step guidance for several age groups and guidance about common kid money concerns, such as allowance.
For one thing, Dad Cents is very easy to read. Barkley takes somewhat complicated financial terms and practices and explains them simply and thoroughly, leading you along with touches of humor and practical illustrations that may have you thinking, “Oh, yeah, now I get it.”
I did have one issue with the book: the number of typos and the problems with formatting throughout. A good solid editing could easily eliminate this distraction.
I mentioned Barkley’s parenting advice. There are plenty of gems of wisdom that can be applied in guiding children, not just in the area of finances. If not for anything else, read the analogy acknowledged from the late Dave Simmons about gardening versus sculpting a child. It really opened my eyes in a positive way.
While I was busy learning about teaching my children to manage money, I was also benefiting from an experienced and loving dad who also happened to be a professional financial consultant.
Being a parent also means ultimately being responsible for all aspects of your children’s education, academically, financially and certainly spiritually. It is all about building a solid foundation from which your kids can soar. Reading Dad Cents by Shane Barkley is one step on the way to doing just that.
Learn more at www.dadcents.com. The author, Shane Barkley can be reached at shane@dadcents.com, facebook.com/dadcents or twitter@dadcents.
Please note that this book was provided free to the reviewer.