Credit Cards...to use or not to use?

Let's face it, we all have them. Credit Cards are everywhere. They call to use at those moments of impulse. They remind us that we can have the larger items from time to time. They even will whisper in your ear..."we are the same thing as money"..."you can afford it" ..."just this one time."

Credit card companies have lulled us to sleep about what money actually is, and what it is not. Having money is not the same thing as having credit. Credit is access to money that belongs to someone else. Credit is ones ability to borrow and nothing else. So when we purchase on credit cards we are borrowing money. In most cases that ability has a price tag called an interest rate. How many of us today are paying the price for borrowing too much and allowing the interest rates to overtake our ability to pay off our debts?

Let me offer one simple rule that will keep your kids from falling into the same trap. Rule #2 for Kids: "If you do not have money then you can't spend money." If you want something then you need to have the available CASH to purchase the item. If you need something we should budget so we have CASH to purchase the necessity. Borrowing money should always be kept to a minimum and only when absolutely necessary. Teach your children that to be independent they cannot ever become slave to the lender. Teach them to use cash.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC
www.moolamonsters.com

Does All Money Really Belong to God?

A close friend of mine told me his daughter asked him to explain the first rule of money to her friends. While he understood the first rule and agreed with it, he found himself slightly perplexed as to how to articulate the point. This got me thinking that maybe I should take some time to explain each rule a little deeper.

Rule#1 All Money Belongs to God:

To understand this rule it is important to understand what money really is and what it is not. Money is simply a means by which we manage and exchange resources. In earlier history, if I had one resource and you had another we could exchange resources as needed so that both of our needs were met. Money allows us a simpler way to make that exchange. Money has no inherent value in and of itself beyond the resources to which it is applied.

In the very beginning, in Genesis (1:26-29), we were called to manage the resources on the Earth. God created the resources of the Earth and placed mankind over them. We often think that man created economic systems. The truth is God created the management of resources. He created economics. There are many more passages that teach this principle, but at the very core is Gen. 1.

Even if you have a faith that differs from mine this principle still applies. It is important for us to respect a higher authority than ourselves regarding the management of money. The moment money is "only" about ourselves, the charitable application is lost. If we only use money for our gain then we abuse the resources to which the money is applied. This goes into some very deep economic and political topics that are not appropriate for this post. However, without giving we only hurt ourselves in the long run.

In conclusion all things belong to God. Therefore, that includes money. Take care of what has been given to you.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC
www.moolamonsters.com

Fishing for Kids

Recently I was given the book "Fish" by Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. If you have not had a chance to read "Fish", I highly recommend picking a copy up today. The book itself is directed towards increasing morale and improving results in business, but the four principles the the book emphasizes is good to practice for all areas of our life, especially in our relationship with our children.

Principle 1: Choose Your Attitude

How often do we get home tired from work, and our attitudes may be a little less than optimal. It is so important for us to choose our attitude when we are with our kids. Our time with them is precious and limited. We need to have a positive attitude as much as we can around our children.

Principle 2: Play

Who knows better how to play than our kids. They can bring out the kid in us if we let them. Find time to play.

Principle 3: Make Their Day

Who doesn't love it when someone goes out of the way to make our day? Take them on a walk. Go out for ice cream. Read them a book. Making a child's day is as simple as spending quality time with them.

Principle 4: Be Present

This may be the most important and the most difficult principle to apply on a consistent basis. When we are with our children we need to focus on them. It is so easy to let our minds drift off into work or bills when we are spending time with our kids. It is so easy to jump on the cell phone when are kids are wanting our attention. Be present for them. Look them in the eye when they are speaking. Acknowledge their comments and questions. When you are with them, give them your full attention.

The "Fish Philosophy" is great for growing our relationships with our children. Remember to choose your attitude, play, make their day, and be present.

Wishing you the best,

Grant Magers
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC
www.moolamonsters.com

Many Thanks!

Every morning her feet shuffle across the street. Sometimes the sun is beating down on her as the temperature reaches 120 degrees in the Arizona summer. Hunched over and tired she shuffles. Cars race by her, sometimes, with little regard for the effort it takes her to just make it across. Nobody stops to help her. Nobody offers her water in the scorching sun. Yet everyday, without fail she makes it across the street and back again.

Her hand and arm are getting tired as she carries her burden. She never complains. She always smiles at each and every person that crosses her path. In our community she is an unknown soul. She is the woman who crosses the street everyday...back and forth. Yet, she is the woman that is protecting all we hold dear. Everyday she helps our children safely cross the street to get to school and to get home. She is an inspiration and an example for all to follow. She gives. She gives everyday without fail. I am so thankful this year for her.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!

Grant Magers
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC
www.moolamonsters.com

Piggy Banks

Last week I was presenting to a group of parents at a local church. Before I went up to speak it struck me to ask them, "how many of you had a piggy bank growing up?" Every hand in the audience went straight up. I then asked them, "How many of you regularly were taught to put money in your piggy bank and save?" Every hand stayed in the air. Then asked them, "Now as adults, how many of you save money the way you know you should?" Every single hand went down.

Isn't it interesting that so many of us were taught to save money, but so few of us do it. I have a theory... It is because "to save" has no intended consequence if it is not done. Children and adults respond to consequence. "If you do not eat dinner then you will not get desert." "If you run the red light you will get a ticket resulting in a fine." We respond to the consequence to create a positive habit.

Why do we go to work? Because, if we do not then there will be potential disastrous consequences for our lives. Why do we lock our doors? Why do we go to school? Why do we have our kids do their homework? Why do we do anything that requires disciple, if it is not to better ourselves and protect ourselves from negative consequences. Consequences are a large part of the decision making in human nature. This is why the third rule of money for kids is written: "If you spend all your money you will not have any left."

When a child is operating in the Moola Monster System they learn right away what this means. When they do not have any money there is immediate consequences to what they are able to do. Teach your children how to understand the consequence of not saving very young. If they spend all they have, they will not have any money left.

All the Best,

Grant Magers
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC
www.moolamonsters.com

Go-Giver

There is a great book called "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann. The book was written for business professionals in order to give us a different way of looking at the world. Rather than looking at it from the perspective of "go get", they brilliantly suggest we "go give" in order to get. We must give in order to receive.

I found it interesting that these gentlemen saw a weakness in our business ethic and wrote a book to encourage a shift in thinking about the way we go about receiving in this world. So how does this lesson apply to raising our children? It seems obvious enough. Who doesn't want their children to be gracious to others? However, how many children grow up to be "geters" rather than "givers" in our culture.

We live in a society that holds competition and winning at the highest levels. Unfortunately sometimes at all costs. The truth is I want my kids to win as much as the next person, but like this book we need to reestablish what winning is all about. Competition is good. It is what drives our great country, and I personally believe that competition makes all of us better. So I am not advocating being a doormat. However, I am advocating scripture, the meek shall inherit the Earth (Matthew 5:5).

We need to teach our children to be givers. It is through giving that the highest forms of receiving is earned. They need to be taught to give of their time, their talents, and their treasures without misguided expectations of return. By doing these things they will find that a world of opportunity will open that is unlimited in its potential for good. Thank you authors of the Go-Giver. We appreciate your insight.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers,
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC
www.moolamonsters.com

Preparing Your Children for a Better Financial Future

I love being a parent. I have two boys ages 7 and 5. Just listening to them laugh is enough to make my day complete. Their happiness is my goal in life. Helping them achieve that happiness is not an easy task. We want our children to be happy. We want to protect them from all the pain of the world.

We do so many things to protect them. We put them in the best child-safety seats money can buy. We sort through every piece of Halloween candy and examine each piece carefully to make sure they are good to eat. We teach them the value of nutrition and exercise so their bodies will be healthy and grow. We make sure they do their homework and are making good grades to school. As parents we take great care in making sure our kids will have happy lives. The truth is that we want them to be happy kids, but more importantly we want them to be happy adults. Our children will spend 75% or more of their life as an adult. Almost all things parents teach children are for the child’s future as an adult. Ironically one of the things, as parents, we fail to teach adequately to our children is how money works in our world.

When it comes to money we have a tendency to make two major mistakes. First, we hope the schools will teach them. After all the schools teach them to count and make change. I know plenty of adults who can count and make change, yet they cannot retire. They have too much debt. They have filed bankruptcy. Being able to count and make change does not create an understanding of how money works. The second mistake we make is we assume our kids will catch on using allowances and piggy banks. As a child I had an allowance, I saved change in a piggy bank, and yet in early adulthood I found myself broke. How about you? We were all told to save. We were all told to work for money, but the majority of our country has been financially brought to their knees. So as parents why are we repeating the same mistakes that our parents made.

Having general knowledge about eating healthy and exercising does not ensure a healthy lifestyle. Would you tell your kids to eat vegetables and then serve them candy? Would tell them the advantages of exercise and then allow them to sit in front of the television 24 hrs a day? No, as parents we get them involved in that lifestyle. We enroll them in sports activities. We give them nutritious meals. They live the lifestyle we teach them. So how do we transfer that same experience to financial behavior?

If you want to reach your children for a better financial future, look at how money works in your life. You earn it, you spend it, and if you do not have any you cannot do the things you need or want to do. Create that same economy for your children in the home. For instance, in my house if my children want to play a game console it cost them 15 Moola Monsters per hour. If they want junk food, it cost them 5 Moola Monsters. My kids live in a child friendly economy in our house so they understand cash flow, savings, investing, etc. I built an economy for my kids so they live by the same financial principles I live by. I want them to understand how the world works, so when they grow to be adults, they will have the foundation to make the right decisions financially.

To learn more visit our website at www.moolamonsters.com. Remember, no matter what interest your child has as they grow up money will be a part of their lives, so give them they best education you can regarding managing it responsibly.

Sincerely,

J. Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Happy Giving

Every Sunday morning I ask the kids to get their Moola Monsters' banks and bring them to me. We then proceed to count their cards. We decide how much they are going to take out of their investments or how much they are going to leave in. We take out 10% and move it to savings. We also take out 10% for our tithe to God. This morning Michael asked me the most insightful question. After he gave me three Moola Monsters to give to God he asked me if the cards go to heaven to be with God.

What if they did? What if your tithe went directly to God? Would it change your thoughts about tithing? What if he kept an accounting of your giving? What if God used those funds to improve the universe? How would God use the dollars you gave Him? These questions sped through my mind in a blast of just a few seconds as Michael looked up at me awaiting an answer. Truthfully, it was a bit terrifying to consider that my giving is that personal to God.

I looked at Michael and explained that for each card he and his brother give, I give one dollar to the church on their behalf. I then explained that God uses those dollars by working with the church to help others. So in a very real sense those dollars do go to be with God in heaven, and he uses them. Of course let us never forget Matthew 6:19-21,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Happy Giving,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

A Real Story: My True Role as a Mommy

My true role, as a mommy, is to work my way out of my job. Of course I will always be my precious little girl’s protector; however, we must give our children wings to fly on their own. My husband and I are so impressed with the Moola System. We have been implementing the system with our 3 ½ year old for about 3 months now. We are completely blown away by how quickly our daughter has caught on & how interested she is to EARN. She can recite all five rules of money—and did I mention she is not even FOUR years old?!?

I see a huge disconnect with our generation in regards to our relationship with money. There is a sense of entitlement, and if we all returned to “working hard and working smart” we would be a much more productive society. More importantly, I believe we would be in better favor with God. I am so thankful that the Moola Company has given us a way to introduce a healthy relationship in regards to money at such a young age. These rules, also, apply to us—the parents.

1. All money belongs to God.

2. If you don’t have money you can’t spend money.

3. If you spend too much money you won’t have money to spend.

4. I have to work hard and smart to earn more money.

5. God loves a cheerful giver.

Today our little girl earned enough Moolas to turn them in for a prize. It melted my heart that she pulled out her tithe FIRST…all on her own. Plus, she said she wanted to give ONE more to God (her offering). Again, I was completely in awe of her heart. Not to mention, the cashier at the toy store was in shock and impressed! She said it was refreshing to see this display as most children throw daily” fits in the store. This is God at work through this amazing company.

Our household dynamic has changed since introducing the system. Our daughter is eager to find ways to earn Moolas which in turn adds a sense of peace in our home. Plain and simple, this is a tool to teach and implement God’s plan and we cannot have too much of that in this unstable world. The Moola System is a true blessing. It is so simple to introduce and I love watching our daughter grow into an amazing & aware young person. This system will stick with her for her entire life—what an incredible foundation introduced in a way that is FUN & rewarding-for the whole family.

--Rayne Spaulding

Thanks to Moms and Dads

The Moola Monsters' team worked the Glendale, AZ Kidsfaire this past weekend. We had a great time and were able to visit with several parents about Moola Monsters. There was a lot of interest, and a lot who were not interested, as is the case at most trade shows. However, there was one family that helped expand my perspective about the economic situation today and the impact it is having on families.

A mom and dad came by the booth with their two boys. They were interested in the system, but were financially behind themselves and in the middle of a move. I gave them a pack cards so they could see how their kids would respond to the system. I thought it might reduce the stress of the move a little. Mom was so thankkful she began to cry right their at the booth. My heart melted for these folks as it became evident how stressful life had become for them.


I know I am being assumptive, but as I watched people come and go it appeared that stress was ruling the majority of their lives. It seemed that many of them were there to pick up free samples for their kids, so they could have something fun when they went home. We had parents taking 10-15 Moola Monsters' coloring pages at a time. I saw several families with carts full of free stuff.

I want to take this moment to thank all of the hard working moms and dads out there. You all carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and it is important for you to be recognized. Thank you for wanting happiness for your kids in a world that is such a stressful place. I have heard it said that there is nothing better than the laughter of children. Well, mom and dad, much of that laughter is created as a result of the things you do for them each and every day. Thank you very much for being a blessing to your children.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers
CEO
Moola Monsters, LLC

Two Futures

Consider this, in 25-30 years our children will be doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, nurses, builders, realtors, etc. and have families of their own. What will the world look like in 25 years? In the last 15-20 years we have seen a world where a fax was the pinnacle of technology to "Tweeting" on our smart phones. The speed of our economy has grown exponentially, because technology has created economic conveniences. We bank online. We create presentations on airplanes. We video conference and webcast. Can you even imagine how much faster the world will move in another 30 years? I can't. If you will allow me some latitude to generalize, I believe our children will have one of two futures.

Future #1: They will be like many of us where spending has consumed their lifestyle. They will work hard for their paycheck. They may even own their own businesses, but in the end they will spend every dime they have until they cannot keep up. They will not have enough set aside for retirement. Does this sound familiar?

Future #2: They will plan their futures. They will save more. They will pay cash for items rather than using credit cards. They will have patience, and view wealth as more than the status of possessions, but as the security for their future. Does future #2 sound familiar?

Both Future #1 and Future #2 should be familiar to you, because they are no different than the reality we live in today. In other words this is nothing new. The questions you need to ask yourself is: 1) what future do you want for your children? 2) What will you do right now and in the future to help them achieve that future? 3) What is your plan?

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Entitlement

It has been a while since my last post. Things have been so incredibly busy that I have found it hard to make time to write. As usual much of my time has been spent on airplanes. I was in Detroit and Minneapolis most recently. I try to keep to myself on airplanes. I am either reading or sleeping usually. However, this last trip proved to be different. On two different occasions I set next to gentlemen who wanted to chat.

Un-prompted both started discussing youth and entitlement. The first guy expressed to me how his son expected dad to buy him things without appreciating how much they cost. "It is as if he thinks, he is entitled," he stated. The second guy went on and on about how teenagers have no work ethic. "They just show up and expect to get paid." Both looked at me and asked, "Is this my fault?"

Entitlement... It is a disease. It is spreading faster and is more real then swine flu. It poisons our children and our businesses. I cannot find one thing that I am entitled to receive. If I want to grow in wealth, health, happiness, I must be willing to sacrifice. I must be willing to work hard and smart.

Entitlement will not have my children. They are learning to sacrifice for their opportunities in life. They are learning to work hard and smart. They are learning to make good decisions and respect what God has given them.

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Teaching Kids about Money

Too much of anything is a bad thing. Watch the most recent video blog about teaching our kids about money. Is it a good thing or a bad thing. Several parents have mentioned to me that they are concerned too much focus on money is a bad thing. Let's talk about. What is your opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq2z7jQUHOg

Your kid/money story?

Tell us about your children. What is their experience with money?

"You own your house right? Don't you own your air?" (age 8)

My Experience in Jail

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing the inside of a jail cell. No, I was not arrested. I had the privilege of experiencing a ride-along with a police officer. The very first thing I saw was a jail cell. No windows. No comforts. No clock. No space. It was a cold and lonely place. I knew without a doubt this was not a place I ever wanted to find myself.

What about financial jail cells? How many of us today are finding ourselves in financial jail cells. We feel trapped and alone as if their is no way out. Time moves so slowly. We count each day while interest rates steal our future.

As I stared at the cell it crossed my mind that I would like my boys to see this place. Maybe they should have to stay in the cell for a few minutes just to appreciate their freedom. What an eye opening experience that would be for them as they consider choices in their future. Maybe our children should experience financial jail cells at their level of understanding. This way they could learn from the start to appreciate and respect the financial choices of their lives.

Teach your children, so they never experience a jail cell.

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

FEAR

What do you think of when you think of the word fear? Do you think of Jason or Freddie chasing some poor soul through the woods and the hair standing on the back of your neck? Do you think of arachnophobia, agoraphobia, or some other phobia that causes your heart to beat faster and your chest to tighten? One of my personal fears is the fear of loss; the loss of a loved one or the suffering of loved ones if I should lose my life. What is your greatest fear?

Fear can be an overwhelming emotion. It is built in our genetic code for survival. It is a fascinating emotion from the respect that our fight or flight response to fear can save us or paralyze us. Have you ever stopped to consider what fear is doing to you?

This is not an easy question. In our culture, fear is often associated with weakness. Can you imagine a professional athlete who was too afraid to perform in the championship game? Let’s be honest, due to this cultural bias there is an underlying fear of acknowledging our fears. What if others were to know you were afraid? What would they say? How would your spouse respond?

Fear takes on all shapes and sizes. It typically hides in the recesses of our souls and whispers, “you can’t….” Fear is not focused in on tight spaces or horror movies only; it wants to hold you hostage in all areas of your life. It focuses its energy on your soul. It creates doubt in our abilities to manage our relationships, our businesses, our education, our parenting and our happiness. What is fear whispering in your ear?

The first step in healing in any area of our life is acknowledgement. Define your fear. When you define your fears you take away their control. You set the path in front of you to dissolving the issue. The second step is to move forward. Our fears hold us back, so move forward. By moving one step at a time our fears slowly dissolve away. Before you know it you will move past the fear to the point it no longer exists.

The final step is to face the next fear in your life. We are growing and changing every day. As such, new fears will develop. The next phase of our maturity is realized each time we define our fears, move forward, and dissolve them away, then move on to what is next in our life. It is part of our growth, our self-discovery. Whatever your greatest fear is, it is not as strong as you. Do not listen to the whispering liar called fear.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Let us know....

What are you doing to teach your children about money management?

My Point Exactly

Every so often there is something that happens that makes a person yell, "My point exactly!" I had one of those moments on the 5th. We have some dear friends in town for the 4th of July weekend. Their dad is over in Afghanistan for a year, so the rest of the family joined us for a week of R&R. We have 5 boys under the age of 8 in the house so it has been Wrestle Mania 24/7 and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Saturday night I woke up about 12:30am because the Arizona heat was winning. So I went over and turned the AC down. Ahhhhh...much better. Then at 3:00am I woke up again to the scorching Arizona heat only to find out that someone had turned the AC back up. So, like any other relatively sane person I turned the AC back down again, and went to sleep.

Saturday morning rolls around and everyone is scurrying around the kitchen. Bacon is frying, eggs are scrambled and ready to serve, and the coffee is made. Before I could reach the cups, my wife gets my attention, and asks if I was turning the temperature down last night. "Of course," I replied "it was scorching." She then began to remind me about the cost of the electric bill this time of year. You might think that this is the point... It's not.

Apparently before I stumbled out of hibernation, Tracy had asked the kids if they had turned the air down. They of course said no, and she went on to explain to them that it costs money to run the AC. It was at that point that my son's friend said, "Wait a minute, isn't this your

house?" Tracy replied, "yes". He continued, "Well if it is your house, why do you have to pay for your own air?"

THAT'S IT!!! That is my point. Thank you young man. This is why Moola Monsters was created. Children today do not have a conceptual framework of how the world works. It all just automatically appears and they consume. So much so that they naturally assume we just consume as well. Why should they think anything different? We hit a button, and the air turns on. We hit another button and cartoons are there. We hit another button and dinner is served. How old were we before fully understood that it is more than just hitting a button. It usually takes us growing up and moving out of our parents house. Unfortunately, by that time too many of us are programmed to bad financial behavior.

Now is the time for you to make a difference in your child's life. You can teach them how the world works. Moola Monsters can help. Your kids will learn to make good choices without even realizing that they are learning.

To my son's best friend... "Thanks pal! Thanks for having enough insight to ask the question. Thanks for helping us parents wake up. Now it is our turn to teach you."

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Belief Systems

As the founder of Moola Monsters, I am always seeking to inspire parents to teach their children. I want to step back a second to let all of the parents out there know that I can empathize with the struggles we face teaching our children. Time, energy and patience can seem few and far between at times. As parents we can let the stress of guilt creep into our lives. This can be hard, so I want to discuss a more fundamental aspect of parenting... Belief Systems.

Speaking with founder of "Consider the Ant Ministries" this morning reminded me about the importance of belief systems in our motivation to rise above the mundane regarding any goal. While working with the Schuster Center for Professional Development I had a client ask me if I could help him. I responded that I didn't know if I could help him and insistently he told me of course you know. I then explained that I knew statistically what we are able to do for our students on average, but that was not what was in question. I didn't know if he really wanted help or not. I didn't know enough about his belief systems regarding himself, his situation, his business, or our organization. You can have the greatest coaches in the world, but unless you want help, are willing to do the work, and believe that you can achieve better for your life all the coaching in the world will not matter. It is the belief systems of an individual that will determine the success of any given desire to grow.

It is difficult to take a hard look at ourselves and truly evaluate our belief systems about certain areas of our life. This can be especially true when it comes to issues of relationships, faith, money, and other deeply personal aspects of our lives. So let me ask you, what is your belief system about your children's education? What is your belief system about their future? Is it the school's responsibility? Is it the church's? Is it your wife's or your husband's? Is their education subject to just living life and experiencing the world as it comes to them? Maybe it is a little bit of all of these things. Only you and God truly know your belief system regarding your children's future.

Whatever, your belief system is it will play an important role in shaping your kid's future. In fact, many of their belief systems will come directly from you. Yes, it is a huge responsibility when you consider the magnitude of the influence we have over our children's future. I want to ask a favor of you. Will you please set aside some time in your day to embrace that responsibility and prayerfully consider and understand your belief system regarding parenting? Look at it in detail. Where does your responsibility end and the worlds influence begin. What do you want for them and why do you want it? The answers to these questions will direct the action you choose for your children. How you connect with your children regarding everything from discipline, nutrition, exercise, money, love, values, faith and all other areas of education will be motivated by your parenting belief systems.

Your children need you.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

A Heavenly Fathers Day ~ Inspired by Dad

Fathers Day... As a father of 2 great boys I really enjoy fathers day. It is not a day that sends me to the golf course or sends me fishing. It is a day that sends me to my family. It focuses me on the gifts God has given me, my wife and those two wonderful boys. Whom without I could not bear the title father.

Fathers Day may not represent great moments for some. Some fathers were not around for their children. I have friends out there, whose dads were alcoholics, abusive, verbally an physically, and much worse. I have friends who have not been able to become dads and fathers day represents a hole in their life. I am writing this blog to hopefully bring a sense of peace to those with loss or pain on fathers day and to encourage all men in their roles as fathers, uncles, grand-dads, god-parents, and friends to children.

I grew up with a dad who is truly inspiring. I was adopted as an infant and I believe my parents were divinely selected for me. At a very early age dad established in me a moral compass based on God's direction. If I wanted to do something that he may disagree with (i.e. watch a TV program, stay up late, etc) he would always give me the choice. "Grant you can... if you think that is what God wants you to do." He always placed me in a moral dialogue with God. He just had a good way of phrasing things in a way that forced me to consider more than myself.

Don't get me wrong, I had plenty to cry about growing up. What I mean is, I was crying when the black belt took to my backside for making poor choices. I understood the consequences of my choices. Dad understood the meaning of "spare the rod spoil the child" and I am so thankful for his wisdom today. In my life today when faced with tough decisions I consider God and His will for my life and I consider the social consequences of my actions.

Dad is also the most giving man I have ever met. I have seen him feed the hungry and help stranded strangers. He let a friend live with our family until the man could back on his feet. He genuinely loves so deeply that he struggles with seeing anyone go without. However, he is not blind to an individuals laziness. He will not tolerate unjust behavior towards others. He will not stand by and watch someone take advantage of others for self gain.

As a young man I struggled to appropriately express the same moral fiber with grace. I desired to be just and loving in my heart, but there was often poor execution in my action. He used to try and temper my exuberance, but as a brash young man I was "in control". Looking back over my life, it has taken some serious bumps and bruises to understand that grace is a powerful way to reach others. Dad understood this and tried to teach me the best that he could. I think he did a great job.

So today on fathers day as I look at my boys I have one goal, and that is to be half the man to them that my father was to me. To do that it requires the greatest Father of all... my Heavenly Father. The One who knows no limits to grace. The One who died for me, my dad, and all of us. He died for those whose dads were not around and those who feel pain on fathers day. All of us celebrate Fathers Day every day. We celebrate it when we kneel at our beds or bow our heads for prayer. We celebrate it when we help a stranger or feed the hungry.

We celebrate our Heavenly Father when we teach our children about the life He has called us all to live. My dad taught me all the time, the very best he knew how. In doing so he celebrated the Heavenly Father. We too can celebrate our Heavenly Father every day.

Make every day Heavenly Fathers Day... teach your children.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Advertising and Your Kids

"Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service." ~ Wikipedia

Advertising is clearly a necessary part of business. It is not inherently a bad thing. We all participate in advertising one way or another. For some of us advertising is our profession, and it is our job to persuade potential customers. For others, like myself, I have to advertise to make others aware of our company. Sometimes advertising is very subtle like the hats I wear with other company logos on them. Other times, like on television or billboard ads, it can be very direct. In fact advertising is often it's own form of entertainment. We all look forward to the Super Bowl ads. Who can forget our three favorite frogs or the rancher herding cats.

There is absolutely no doubt advertising is effective. Companies spend millions upon millions of dollars and go as far as to employ psychologists to study the best ways to persuade us. Logos and jingles are all designed to make us remember companies and the great things about the products they are selling. I have even started to notice that department stores all have a similar smell now. Have you noticed that? The smell almost puts you in a buying mood. The power of advertising is amazing.

Have you given any thought to advertising and it's impact on your children? This was a scary and sobering question for me the first time I considered it. As am writing my book, “Not My Kids©”, I became curious to just how many commercials were impacting my children per hour of television. I was absolutely stunned to see over 60 commercials in an hour. This wasn't the worst part. It was the message in the commercials that were horrifying. The commercials were fast paced with lots of color and action. They were clearly designed to engage kids. The horrifying part was the relationship between parents and children in these commercials. Parents were often made to look, out of touch, dumb and not cool. Teachers were made to look weird and boring. The kids who were enjoying the products were made out to have superior wisdom than the adults in their lives. The only time an adult was made to be cool was if the adult was advocating the product.

This kind of advertising is hitting our kids at an average pace of 60+ commercials per hour of TV. Is there any wonder that children are growing up with a lack of respect for adults. Is it any wonder that they are growing up to always desire the latest and greatest gadget with little self-control. Our children are being programmed to be consumers. You may have no problem with the commercials on television, PDAs, or computers and their messages to your children. I don't know. What I do know is without parents standing up for their children's education and influence, the advertising companies of the world will be happy to do it for you.

I do not want to over criticize the advertising industry as a whole. There are many quality creative ads that I enjoy. We all must market our products and services. My own company has a website and promotional material. But as parents we need to be sure that the messages reaching our children are quality messages. As companies, we can advertise in a manner that represents our products well, engages our customer, and is still respectful to others. As parents we can teach our children the principles they will need to make good sound decisions regardless of the commercial influence. Stand up for your little ones. Teach them the the 5 rules of money for kids.

We have to learn from our past and seize the opportunity of our future, which is our children.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

What is the world coming to...

What is the world coming to when we need to take psychological profiles in order to determine if we should get married to another person? I actually heard this on a christian radio station this morning. I can't believe they suggested that we should take psychological personality profile to determine if we should marry another person.

What do you think Jesus would say to this suggestion? Can't you see the Lord at the wedding feast, saying to the bride and groom, did you take a psych profile before marrying each other? I know, I know, "we live in different times now." - "Things are different than they were 2000 years ago." I have a news flash for all of us, human nature is not different. We still deal with greed, anger, jealousy, boredom, lust, and other issues the same now as back then. So what is the difference?

The difference is we lack delayed gratification. We lack taking responsibility for our actions. We do not need psychological profiles, we need to be adults, not adolescents in adult bodies. We need to recognize that love means more than I feel good about my situation. We need to raise our children in a manner that teaches them these principles with our actions more than our words.

I can guarantee you that you can score the highest level of compatibility on a personality profile with each other, and still find that as life gets tough easy way are still appealing. If you choose that route, what does that teach your children? I know there are circumstances that may require one party of a relationship to leave sometimes. I am saying that personality profiles are not the preventative answer. A healthy understanding of love in Christ is the answer. Patience, kindness, the fruits of the Spirit are what make individuals ready for marriage. They are also the things that sustain a couple in their marriage 30+ years later.

Teach your children by your actions. Not only in money, but in your marriage, in the choices you make for your life.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Using the Moola Monster System

I try not use the blog to purely self promote Moola Monsters' products. However, tonight I want to share some tips on how to best implement the system effectively for your family. We now have families using Moola Monsters in seven states, and we have had an overwhelming number of success stories. However, we have also had a lot of questions about how to best use the system. As the founder of the company it is pretty easy for me to make assumptions about certain aspects of the system. This is why I want to thank each and every one of you who are asking questions. By asking questions you give us the opportunity to better ourselves and hopefully be a part positively influencing the future through your children. If for some reason I do not address your question in this blog, please email me at moolamonsters@cox.net.

The concept of Moola Monsters is to introduce an economic system for children into the home. The main reason kids today get all the way into college with little understanding of money is because over the years the role of children as changed in the home (read about in previous posts). In order for any economic system to function the currency has to have some sort of understood value to the individual. This occurs in two ways in the Moola Monsters system. 1) The children are drawn to the cards because they like the characters. This creates an instant intrinsic value to the cards themselves. 2) The cards have to represent something more than just the characters themselves for it to have a lasting impact. The cards need to represent opportunities that your kids desire. (e.g. an opportunity to play a game console for an hour, an opportunity to buy a new toy, and opportunity to have some candy). This creates a "market need" to earn cards. This exactly how life works. When is the last time you played golf for free? When is the last time you picked up a new car for free? Our currency in life represents opportunities. Sometimes those opportunities are needs and sometimes they are wants, but they are opportunities none-the-less.

The cards themselves have no designated dollar amount value. Children will learn how to make change in school. What we are teaching them are principles of money and principles of behavior. These principles will last with them their entire lives. (I'll speak to the principles in a minute.) What's great is as parents you can steer the behavior by placing values on the opportunity themselves. If you feel that is is very important for your children to stay clear of junk food then place a higher card value on the junk food. If you feel that to much television is not a good thing then place a high card value on television time (e.g. 10 cards per hour). I have seen my kids pass up junk food for bananas and apples because they did not want to spend there cards on junk food. 

Value can also be placed on the correctional aspect of behavior. For example, if a child back talks an adult it cost my kids 5 cards. The loss of the cards hurts, because they like their characters, but what they ultimately learn is it limits their opportunities to do things they enjoy or need. This is the same in the real world. If you spend $200 on a speeding ticket then that is less money for opportunities that we need or want. This forces them to learn to think before they act, because there is a consequence for their actions. Once I caught the boys in a white lie. It cost them all their cards. It not only got their attention that day, but they were reminded of their mistake each time they wanted to something for a couple of weeks until their account was rebuilt. I treated them with kindness and in love, but they were reminded that lying is never a good choice.

You may want to write out your values together as parents for your children. I recommend starting with 3 or 4 ways to earn cards and 3 or 4 opportunities to spend cards. You can print out a sample on our website (www.moolamonsters.com). As your children are earning cards they will learn quickly how it applies to opportunities. They will look for new ways to earn on their own (feeding the pets, making their beds, cleaning their toys, etc.) You will want to designate ways for them to earn cards as well (there is a printable example on the website).

 To get them to understand the value of saving, bankrupt your kids. Let them spend to their hearts delight. In fact raise the rates along the way. Eventually they will be broke. When they come to you with a request and they have no cards left they will quickly realize the need to consider their spending. Ask them which rule of money they violated (see the five rules of money on the website). This is a perfect opportunity to introduce the five rules. 

Your kids are going to make mistakes along the way. this is good, It is how they are going to learn. It is your job to make sure they don't miss the opportunity to learn. When they do something good or make a mistake have them relate it to one of the five rules. This will teach them larger principles with the actions they are taking. They will even be able to begin to relate the five rules to real family finance situations. Sometimes more than one rule applies so teach them the all the rules that apply. Our goal here is to get to the deeper principles that are going to foster better decision making as adults.

IF you have questions about savings, investing, or tithing, feel free to email me at moolamonsters@cox.net. I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I want to thank you for standing up for your children. You have looked at the current economic pain in the world and said "Not My Kids". You should be commended as parents. Remember it is about progress not perfection. 

Thanks,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters

www.moolamonsters.com

So What is the Difference...?

So what is the difference between an economic reward system and a bribe. This is not as black and white as it might seem. I have heard some people say that an allowance is a bribe. In wikipedia it mentions that in some cultures it is considered a bribe to leave a tip at a restaurant. Everyone who earns a salary, bonus, or commission experiences money as a reward system. So when does it become a bribe?

In the U.S. we traditionally think of bribes as an offering of money that supports an unethical act. For instance, if someone offered a police officer money to ignore a crime being committed. Another example might be if a corporate executive was offered money to ignore product findings that could harm the public. I think we could all agree that these are clear examples of bribes. What about a boss offering a quarterly bonus plan to his/her employees? Is that a bribe? Is it a bribe to offer your children an allowance for doing chores?

I recently heard that if money is being offered for general expected behavior then it is a bribe. I want ask the question then, is it a bribe to get paid by your company for general expected behavior? I receive a salary and commissions for general expected behavior in my position. Is that a bribe? As humans we experience intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It would be wonderful if the world only functioned based on intrinsic qualities, such as for the joy of working. However, the truth is that this is not how our society functions. Even our pastors receive compensation. I wonder how many pastors would be leading churches if they had to do it for free. 

Our society is built on economic structures, as are all societies. Whether bartering products or exchanging currency, it is economic systems that allow us to fairly exchange talents and resources. So let me ask you, if your child receives an allowance for contributing their talents and resources, is it a bribe? Or is a bribe more directly tied to the ethical motive behind the exchange of currency and products. I will agree that there are intrinsic values, such as manners that need to be taught beyond the confines of an allowance or reward system. Treating people with love and grace is beyond extrinsic reward. It is commanded by God, therefore should be followed. In fact our own society will fine people economically for not following particular social expectations. 

On the other hand, we must teach our children that reward for their effort has value. After all this is how they will make a living in life. They should receive their reward with grace and humility. They need to learn to give as gracefully as they receive. I believe that as parents if we do not teach our children these principles we are the ones at fault. Prepare your children for the real world. Reward systems are part of the real world, therefore we need to teach them to earn and handle those rewards with grateful hearts.

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

School's Out for the Summer

Who doesn't remember how good it felt when the bell sounded on the last day of school. It meant summer vacations, time in the pool, summer camp, and of course baseball. I still have those flashback memories when I smell the summer air in Richardson, Texas. I remember going to my Dad's softball games. I was the bat boy and he was the big hitter on the team. Every-time he was up to bat I would tell him to hit a home run, and usually he did.

I also remember my mom saying things by the end of the summer months, like "I can't wait for the kids to go back to school." I can remember complaining about how bored I was by August. Somehow the the thrill of summer had worn off. My sister and I became mindless drones sitting in front of the t.v. It was too hot to go outside and play much of the day. We were bored with our toys. The t.v. was the only summer constant.

So here we are on the other side of the fence now. We are the parents with children excited for summer. I agree that the kids should get a break and have some fun. Life should be fun. However, if you find yourself asking "when will school start again" let me make a suggestion. After July 4th, plan one hour 4 days a week for your kids to do something educational. If you can do more even better, but do not let them become permanently glued to the sofa watching the t.v. or playing video games. They need to do some math, reading, writing, or other activities. Keep their developing brains growing.

It is you versus summer boredom for your kids. Help them grow, they need you.

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters

www.moolamonsters.com

The Root of All Evil?

We have all heard the expression "money is the root of all evil". Is it really? Money allows me to buy food. It allows me to put a roof over my wife and kids' heads. It allows my to obtain medication when we are sick. No... I really don't think that money is the problem. 

I bring this up because I have heard parents  say that they have concerns about teaching their children too much about money. In other words, they do not want it to be too much of a focus in their lives. I understand the fear of making money too much of a central theme in a child's life. I am certainly empathetic to that position. Consider this, parents will spend enormous amounts of resources teaching their kids sports. However, less than 1% of those kids will ever do anything more than recreational activity with sports. Even those who do go on to professional careers in sports will be faced with dealing with vast amounts of money.

Let's be honest here, there is no getting away from money. We can either teach our children how to manage it responsibly, or hope they pick it up along the way as adults. Personally, I am not crazy about just hoping that my kids learn about money, no more than I am just hopeful they will learn about good nutrition. Think about it like this, we do not want our children over obsessing about food, but does that mean we never teach them about good nutrition?

I believe one of the reasons we have fears about the topic of money is because so many of us do not fully understand it ourselves. How many of us understand completely the kreb cycle and it's function in our cardiovascular health? Probably not that many of us, but I bet we still teach our children about the importance of exercise. Remember, money will be a part of your children's life ... no different than nutrition or exercise. Teach them principles about saving, giving, and working hard and smart. Your children need you to prepare them for life. So, what are you waiting for... prepare them.

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

The Role of Structure

Working with Dr. Michael Schuster has taught me a great deal about the importance of structure in business. I have seen failing companies turn around in a matter of months by focusing on the structure of each aspect of their business. A lot of the ideas Dr. Schuster teaches related to structure comes from Peter Senge, Director of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT and author of "The Fifth Discipline". One of the primary thoughts surrounding Senge's work, that Dr. Schuster teaches regularly, is that Philosophy/Values drives our approach ,which drives our structure, which in turn creates patterns of behavior that ultimately produce our results. Let's take this approach and apply it to raising our children. 

Weekly, I hear from parents that their children are not behaving in a manner they would like them to behave. For instance, they do not take care of their toys, they bite, they will not eat their dinner or go to bed on time. This can be very stressful for parents. Most parents I speak with are asking themselves, "Am I doing something wrong" or "Am I a bad parent"? The answer is, no, you're not a bad parent. There is a structural problem.

Let's apply Senge's work to raising our children. To begin we must start with what are our values as parents and our philosophy about raising children. These values will determine the approach you will take in the structure of children's growth and education. Once you have identified and understood the values and approach ask yourself, "Are the results we see in line with the values we hold and the approach we have taken? Are you seeing behavioral results such as crying, biting, poor manners, etc? What results are you seeing with your children. What do these results tell you? These are the hard questions to consider. To answer these questions we really need to be honest with ourselves.

Patterns of behavior produce results. So if we do not like the results we are getting we need to consider there are some patterns of behavior that are not in line with our values. What patterns of behavior can you identify in your own life as parents, that are contributing to the behavior results of your children? Changing patterns of behavior is not necessarily an easy task. However, we have to be honest with ourselves and look at them if we are going to see change.

Once you have identified the patterns of behavior we can begin to look at structure. There are structural systems in each home that contribute to the patterns of behavior. What is your structure for your children regarding their chores and responsibilities? What are your structures regarding TV time or game consoles? Create rules, boundaries, expectations, and consequences. See them through and be consistent. Reward them when they are behaving well. Express to them your gratitude and approval for a job well done. 

There are many developmental and behavioral systems to help parents create structure for their children. The key is to stay consistent. Remember progress not perfection.

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

Acknowledgments: 

Dr. Michael Schuster

CEO/Founder

Schuter Center for Professional Development

Peter Senge

Director of the Center for Organizational Learning

MIT, Sloan School of Management,

Founding Partner  of Innovation Associates in Boston and

Author of "The Fifth Discipline"

This week while traveling to Boston I over heard a three ladies visiting about raising children. One mother described a scenario where her daughter was not taking care of her toys. She mentioned that she really wanted to see a change in her daughter's heart regarding such things. Later in the conversation, she continued to go on and describe a time where her daughter forgot her lunch at home. She considered teaching her daughter a lesson and letting her go the day without lunch, but decided that Christ extends grace and mercy to us so she should do the same for her daughter. She then brought her daughter's lunch up to the school.

Something in this dialogue really concerned me. On one hand this mother wants to see a change in her daughter's heart regarding responsibility (i.e., the responsibility of taking care of her things). On the other hand, the mom neglected an opportunity for her daughter to experience a consequence for not caring for her things and being responsible (in this case her lunch). What is even more concerning is that Christ's grace became the reason for not allowing her child to experience a consequence for her actions.

Please consider this question. What did her daughter learn? Did her daughter learn that we should show grace and mercy to others, or did her daughter learn that she does not have to be responsible, mom will take care of everything? I would argue the latter. Please understand, I believe that we must teach our children grace and mercy. Grace and mercy are paramount in Christian living. However, are we showing our children grace and mercy if we do not teach them there are consequences for their actions?

I recognize that these types of decisions are not always clear cut. It is up to us as parents to do the best job we can in determining when we teach hard lessons. While I empathize that this can be challenging, it is important to teach our children life lessons so that they do not have to experience those life lessons as adults. As adults we experience, financial hardships, failed marriages, addiction, and other damaging consequences for decisions we make. I want my children to experience simple consequences for actions now so they will hopefully never have to experience a more devastating consequence later in life. Remember, God's grace and mercy does not promise freedom from pain in today's world. Sometimes we must experience these things in order to grow. We must experience these things in order to have "a change in our hearts".

We are a product of our...? That is the age old question. Are we merely predetermined in our genetic code or are we a product of our environment? The debate will continue on for years to come I'm sure. One interesting phenomenon that I have noticed is that Corporate America must believe we are a product of their "marketing efforts." Have you ever stopped to see how many commercials our children are bombarded with in one hour of cartoons. It is amazing!!! Fast paced, lots of colors and activity, blasting their developing minds at record pace. 

Is it any wonder that the MTV generation today are massive consumers. We were trained as young children to consume. Clothes, food, games, toys, energy, etc, etc.... We consume and consume, even when we know intellectually that we need to stop and save. The only real way to break the cycle is to begin re-educating our children. 

We have to teach our children they have a greater life than to just be consumers. We must teach them that they are inventors, builders, educators, and more. We must teach them that there are consequences for actions and that good things come to those who wait. They are not doomed to the impulse buy unless we as parents we do nothing to teach them otherwise. Teach your children for the betterment of their futures and the betterment of our country.

Sincerely,

Grant Magers

CEO

Moola Monsters, LLC

www.moolamonsters.com

SUCCESS STORIES

"My 7 yr old requested junk food. When I explained it would be 5 cards, he replied, “No, I don’t want spend my cards on that. May I have a banana?” To which I replied, “Sure. Bananas are free." (Jeff from New Mexico)
"Moola Monsters is working WONDERS for our 6-year-old. I'm happy to report that this is the first time we've managed to make it to school without either Mommy or Daddy breaking down and yelling. If the girls make it in the car by 7:35, they get a card! Whew-hew! It works!" (Laura from AZ)
"No joke, Elle (5) is now potty training her brother (2) for Moola Monster cards...and it was HER idea. Daaang!" (Erin from AZ)