The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Schools Are In Full Swing

by Dessa Rodeffer,
Publisher/Editor

9 September 1999

From preschools to grad-schools, teachers, officials, and students are busy in and outside the classrooms, learning the lessons to make us all a better society.

A question came over the internet last week asking if we felt financial management of our money should be taught in schools.

I feel we must teach the basic things first, like reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, history, science, English, but there are so many things that we all need to learn.

Although it would be good to have many other things taught to our children, such as retirement programs, investments, child care, and marriage responsibilities, our schools were not designed (Pre-K through 12) to teach these kinds of things. Schools are to help our children to interact in society, to be employable, and be qualified, if they choose, to go on to college.

Education is a lifetime thing. Since it is not confined to the school room, we as parents, and non-parents, are also teachers, whether we know it or not. The things we are doing with our finances, and with our lives are live lessons (the easiest to pick up), so we must be cautious about the habits we get ourselves into.

We were taught to read in school so we could better ourselves as adults by reading and by researching.

In this way, we can keep up with today's tough decisions, whether in our work, in our home-life, in our health, or to improve our financial status at retirement.

We can not leave everything to the schools and to others.

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea for us to teach our children the first time we give them a dollar, to keep a dime out for their "retirement bank."

It could be a bank shaped like a hot air balloon to signify you want to have some adventures when you get old, too.

There are many things we can learn on our own to make America an even better place. A friend sent me a few ideas that would make good "Rules and Regulations" around our homes.

Think how stress would decline if others in your family picked up on these good behaviors. Especially, in light of the fact, the way we act rubs off on others.

Let's study and learn some of these lessons and pass them on to anyone who is watching, especially those little ones at home.

  1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
  2. Memorize your favorite poem.
  3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
  4. When you say, "I love you", mean it.
  5. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
  6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
  7. Put God first. Pray daily.
  8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
  9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
  10. In disagreements, fight fairly, stick to the subject. No name calling.
  11. Don't judge people by their relatives.
  12. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
  13. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
  14. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
  15. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
  16. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
  17. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
  18. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
  19. Smile when picking up the phone, the caller will hear it in your voice.
  20. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
  21. Spend some time alone.
  22. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
  23. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
  24. Read more books and watch less TV.
  25. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
  26. Trust in God but lock your car.
  27. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.
  28. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
  29. Read between the lines.
  30. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
  31. Be gentle with the earth.
  32. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
  33. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
  34. Mind your own business.
  35. Call your parents.
  36. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
  37. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
  38. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
  39. Learn the rules. Work to change ones that are not fair.
  40. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
  41. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
  42. Remember that your character is your destiny.
  43. Do a good deed weekly and don't tell anyone.