Contentment is.....

Daddy the Employer

So my son isn’t old enough to understand allowances, money, or even chores for that matter, but I have decided to treat Matty’s allowance like his salary. I am going to become the Employer, CEO of our family, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield all rolled into one. I want to pass on the knowledge that being a hard worker and meeting your deadlines inherently brings reward. If he takes care of his responsibilities he will be rewarded with his allowance, and I feel that my duty as a father will include teaching him about saving his money and also how to make his money work for him through investments and ventures. I know that he is still so little and I feel a bit silly thinking about him vacuuming for his weekly allowance, but that is one thing that I wasn’t taught at all growing up.
I don’t want him to be one of those people that think the only option is to go to work, be a zombie, and come home. I really want to foster the entrepreneurial spirit within him. I read Rich Dad Poor Dad  by Robert Kiyosaki awhile ago and it was a real eye opening experience for me. I certainly am not going to be quite as adept at making my son a financial genius as Robert, but I want to try. Some of the behaviors that I think help the mindset of a financially successful man are:

•  Understanding delayed gratification
• Not settling for the bird in the hand/being willing to take a risk
• Not needing to accumulate possessions to be happy
• Really understanding that his word is his bond
• Always staying positive in the face of adversity

I am sure that there are a thousand other attributes that need to be on this list, but this is where I am starting. Please feel free to leave a comment on what you feel is important to pass on to your children to keep them financially smart. Thanks!

Can you be a real man without being a Father?

Now that I am a father, I find myself looking back on my life with a different attitude/feeling.... A life that I once saw as full of fun experiences and carefree times now has an empty feeling to it.  I don't know how I accomplished anything before I had my little boy.. Now that I have an heir, my life seems so much richer for lack of a better description.  When I go to work, it is with purpose.  When I drive to and from work, it is with safety to get home to my family in mind.  When I go into a store, it is for just the necessaties as I want any frills to be enjoyed by my wife or son. So that begs the question... Did I know what being a man meant before my son came into my life?...My answer is simply no.

Dear Son, Love Dad

Dear Son,

I hope that you always

Just like Daddy

I think that we have another Red Sox fan in the family!

My son showing off his laugh!

I had absolutely no idea how purely happy the sound of your child's laugh can make you....  Thought that I would share my little piece of happiness with you!

First Baseball game as Father and Son- Greenville, South Carolina

How to keep my son from Charlie Sheen-ing...

I have been trying to avoid getting Charlie Sheen overdoses from the media lately.  True, some of the stuff is pretty funny, but when I hear people actually debating things like "Having Tiger Blood" it's a bit over the top.  Being a dad now, when I look from Charlie's crazed face on TV down to my little boys sweet smile, I worry what might be in store for him and how I can prepare him to avoid having a meltdown on national TV.

The triumph of Matty!

 

"Don't give up, Don't ever give up" 
Jim Valvano
Who's the king of the mountain Mommy!!! I am!  The thing that made me so proud of this is that he didn't give up.  He slid down, but after blowing a few raspberries he got right back on and climbed to the top, gaining the praise from us when he made it up.  I think that this is such an open window into the human spirit..... "I have an obstacle... I tried and failed.... I try again with a little determination and I make it up to enjoy my riches (in this case it's praise from Mommy and Daddy).

All the fun things that Daddy will teach you

It sounds like a Dr Seuss book in my head when I think about the stuff that I want to teach my little Matty as he grows up... Here's how it comes out when I try to explain it:
All the fun things that Daddy will teach you
starts with of course not eating the glue
There is skateboarding with Kneepads
and balancing on Do-Dad's

"Been farmin' long?"