"You are lucky because if I was your mom I would be taking pictures of everything you are doing right now." (Bank Representative to Shannon - March 11, 2010)
Another "first" happened yesterday when we opened a checking account for Shannon. Although she's not old enough to do it alone, a joint account with me will suffice for the moment. So why would parents of a sixteen-year-old do this? This is a part of the life training that we want to give our kids. Before she goes away (not too far away, I hope) to college that she should have learned the basics of handling her finances. Before she asks to leave home that she should understand the relationships between resources and obligations. She will learn that the concept of subtraction has a practical application in real life. Accurately calculating the difference between two numbers will no longer just mean earning a point in a test. It will soon be like reading a magic ball that reveals her purchasing ability.
I grew up in a culture where the age "eighteen" has no special meaning. It's hard for me to think that, two years from now, Shannon would handle life as an independent person. God help us train her now... then help her to be strong and wise when her time to open her wings come.
After thinking about this, I just came to a realization that we probably opened her checking account for our own peace of mind. :)
I think it's wise to do that with her now. I'll have to remember this when Calista gets older. I wish I had learned that way. I get so worried sometimes when I think of the things I need to teach them so they can be prepared for life on their own. Ahhh! It seems so far away but it's not. I bet it was just yesterday that Shannon was Calista's age in your mind. Such a lovely photo of Shannon :)
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