Teaching kids about money and financial literacy with video games

Teaching kids about money and financial literacy with video gamesTeaching kids about money and financial literacy with video gamesThis post is inspired by a discussion I had withMelissa Blevinsabout financial literacy. I appreciate her lending meher platformto help you use stories and analogies to improve your own financial lives as well as your childrens. Teaching children to have a healthy relationship with money is imperative, however many of the available tools come up short, reaching children often requires some out-of-the-box methods.Sometimes people in the personal finance space question my use ofgeek cultureto teach financial lessons. When I have offered to do guests posts on other peoples blogs tying back some financial topic to the latestTV show,video game, or manga book I often get some resistance. Allow me to explain why I use stories and analogies to teach lessons and why as a parentyoushould be doing the same.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipbo ard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhen it comes to personal behavior, we are resistant to change, whether is with finances, fitness, productivity. Any improvement in behavior immediately presupposes the old behavior was wrong and people (myself included) do leid like to be wrong. The knee-jerk reaction to anyone suggesting we are wrong is to become defensive, maybe make excuses or justification of the behavior. Some people go as so far as to become depressed or despondent over a worsening behavior, creating a vicious self-fulling cycle.Why stories?Stories, through the use of analogies, metaphors, or just a healthygeeky discussionhave an excellent way of bypassing our defenses. Its much easier to see the faults in some fictional character or situation than our own. However, we can see ourselves in these situations and learn from them neither the less. Analogies are certainly elend a new teaching aid, they have been around since Biblical tim es. Fables have been used for centuries to pass on knowledge, and even today stories and games are used toeducate young children.I think at one point everyone collectively decides money is such a serious topic that we cant have a bit of fun with financial literacy. Well, themasses are not in great financial shape, despite all the financial information available online or otherwise. So its clear we need to change how information is presented and taught.Financial literacy for kidsYou cant teach what you cant demonstrate, and as parents, if you do not have a healthy relationship with money the best tools in the world will not out teach a bad example. Reading blogs like this blog is a great start, and Melissa has some greatresources to help you improve your finances.As parents, I think that there are two critical topics to teach kids about money.The difference between a want and a needIts ok want something as long as youre willing to do the work to earn it.I see parents routinely teachi ng their children the difference between a need and a want. This is a tremendous financial lesson to learn however, its crucial not overly to rely on frugality and delayed satisfaction. Imagine if you were trying to teach a child about healthy eating. Would you solely focus on calorie restriction? Or would you choose to focus on a balanced diet coupled with activity and, yes, even occasional rewards, like the occasional cookie as a treat? What approach do you think would develop the healthiest relationship with food? Raisinghealthy kidsis about teaching them the balance between delayed gratification and working hard for a goal.Hopefully, you choose the latter, as research suggests, diets based on a combination of increased activity and healthy balanced eating are more successful than dieting alone.So, when we are trying to help our kids have a healthy relationship with money, we want to utilize a similar approach. Giving children the opportunity to earn something they want is the fi nancial version of the exercise.Tip When taking your children shopping, dont tell them you cant afford something. Its crucial you come from abundance. Instead, point out that its not in the current budget, as you are prioritizing other things that are of greater value to the family. Let your children know, they canmake money, save, and budget for these wants if these choose.Using video games to teach kids about moneyIf you grew up playing Atari and have not played video games since you had a regular Nintendo in grade school, you must be wondering whatany of thishas to do with finances. Well, video games have evolved since the 8-bit era of jumping over pipes or rescuing Princess Peach. Today, games are massive multi-faceted worlds that are a microcosm of modern society. Most even have in-game economies encouraging players tomake money online.Many Modern games allow players to complete tasks to earn in-game currency (money) to purchase upgrades, enhancements, or skins. Some video game s, go so far as allow you to set up markets to earn in-game loot, or even craft items to sell to in-game merchants.The gameSkyrim, for example, affords players the opportunity to collect ore and gems and turn the raw materials into jewelry that can be sold to in-game merchants. Your childs very first business venture could end up being an in-game virtual one.Use this as a teaching moment, discuss with them that what they are doing when turning the ore into profit is adding value and explain how thats done in real life.Caution some games may be to mature for your child, its important that you understand what games your child can handle. Observe, them playing the games and if you see them engaging in any questionable behavior be prepared to intervene. Keep in mind most modern games have a social element, and your children may be speaking with people online.A discussion about the best video games to teach kids about money is beyond the scope of this article. Although it would be fun to do, I couldnt recommend a game because I do not know you or your family. A game that one family may find lind could offend another family. Additionally, children mature at different paces. As an example, my youngest can handle some more advanced games, because he grew up watching his big sister playing games and she always is willing to lend a hand when he gets stuck.Tip If youre looking milder games or in particular games for younger children, Nintendo tends to cater to the casual and family crowd. Nintendo prides its self on maintaining a safe and family-friendly standard.Caution Some companies such as EA attempt to monetize games by selling randomized, that are effectively barely legalized gambling.Even a relatively simple game likeCandy Crushcan be used to impartfinancial wisdom. Mobile freemium games usually sell extras to speed up playing the game. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about work and money. If your children want to buy a five dollar pack of lives give them the opportunity to earn money, doing work thats over and above any choirs that are expected of them. Set a timer and record how much time it took them to earn the money, and how long it took them to spend it.Then sit down and discuss with them.Was the effort worth it? Would that have saved up and bought something real instead of the in-game currency? Did the work take more time then what it takes for the lives to refresh in the game?This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek.

Enhance Your Job Search With Our Car Driver Resume Template for Word

Enhance Your Job Search With Our Car Driver Resume Template for WordEnhance Your Job Search With Our Car Driver Resume Template for WordIntroduction Getting interviewed for a new job can seem daunting. However, before you start worrying about that, you need to give all your attention to your professional resume. A great way to enhance your own resume is to read other peoples work, and you can examine the car driver resume template for Word below for guidance. You will learn how everything needs to be presented on the page and what information is ideal to include in the education, work experience, skills, and summary gutachten sections.Car Driver Resume Template for Word Paul JenkinsDallas, TX 11111E pauljenkinsanymail.com T 555* Car driver with over 12 years of experience transporting professionals around the city* In over a decade of driving, have never been involved in a collision* Great customer service and communication skillsPerfect Your Skills SectionThe skills section should include a bulleted list of useful skills. The reason you want bullet points, as shown in the car driver resume template for Word, is because they make the section easy to read through. A hiring manager should be able to simply scan through the section and see if you possess the basic skills to excel in the job. You only want this section to have skills that will come into play if you get the job. You will know precisely what skills are needed by first reading the job description thoroughly. Make sure to include any skills mentioned there exactly as they were written because some hiring managers use software to locate keywords and phrases. Some beneficial car driver skills include* Familiarity with basic vehicle maintenance* Exceptional troubleshooting skills* Able to work faceValid Drivers License Renewed in 2015High School Diploma 2013East High School

7 Striking Facts About Women in the Workplace - The Muse

7 Striking Facts About Women in the Workplace - The Muse7 Striking Facts About Women in the WorkplaceHeres a kicker Womens representation in the corporate world isnt improving in leaps and bounds. Not even in leaps or bounds. It actually hasnt improved much at all in the last few years. At least thats one of the top-level findings of the 2018 Women in the Workplace report recently released by McKinsey Company and LeanIn.Org. For the last four years, companies have reported that they are highly committed to gender diversity, it states, looking back at the period since the first in this series of annual studies in 2015. But that commitment has not translated into meaningful progress. Ultimately, the standstill hurts not only women who struggle to advance and have painful experiences at work, but also companies bottom lines. This latest Women in the Workplace report analyzed pipeline and HR data from 279 companies in North America that together account for mora than 13 million workers. It also considered survey responses from more than 64,000 full-time employees from 81 companies and a few dozen interviews that help bring some of the numbers to life. To give you a sense of where things stand- without having to read the full 61-page report- weve pulled out seven striking facts about the state of women in corporate America. 1. Men Hold 62% of Manager Positions to Womens 38% (and it Gets Worse Higher Up)In 2018, women made up 48% of entry-level employees, but only 38% of managers, 34% of senior managers or directors, 29% of VPs, 23% of SVPs, and just 22% of C-suite executives. For every 100 men promoted to manager-level roles, only 79 women moved up into similar roles. The numbers are even more abysmal for women of color, who make up only 17% of entry-level roles and 4% of C-suite positions.And its not because women are leaving their companies or the workforce the report also found that unterstellung women and men are stepping away from jobs and careers at nearly id entical rates. 2. Women Are Less Likely to Have Access to Senior LeadersThe study found that 27% of men never have a substantive interaction with a senior leader about their work, but 33% of women- and 41% of black women- say the same. And while 40% of men reported that they never have an informal interaction with a senior leader, 49% of women- and 54% of Latina women and 59% of black women- reported the same. That may not seem like the most profound discrepancy at first glance, but interactions with senior leaders can make a big difference in who stays, who successfully negotiates promotions, and who sets their sights on leadership positions of their own. In other words, fewer interactions can mean fewer opportunities. 3. Women Are Twice as Likely to Be Mistaken for Much More Junior Employees and More Likely to Deal With DiscriminationI was in the elevator and pressed the button for the executive office, one Asian woman relayed as parte of the study. She was a director whod been at her company for four years. Someone said to me, Um, no honey. Thats for the executive offices. The interns are going to this floor. Shes one of 20% of women whove been mistaken for someone far more junior. Only 10% of men have had similar experiences. Women are also nearly twice as likely to report needing to provide more evidence of their competence, and are more likely to have their judgement questioned in their area of expertise and to be the targets of demeaning remarks.In total, 64% of women said they faced microaggressions at work- with an even higher rate (71%) of lesbian women saying the same- compared to about half of men. These experiences add up. Women who experience these slights are three times more likely to consider quitting on a regular basis. 4. Women Are Far More Likely to Be Onlys and Suffer More for it When They AreAbout a fifth of women reported that theyre frequently the only woman (or one of the only women) in the groups of people they work with at the office . Its more like 40% for women in senior leadership and those in technical roles. Just 7% of men are in the reverse situation. Not only are women much more likely to be outnumbered, but they also tend to have horrible experiences when they are. Theyre far more likely to be subjected to microaggressions than women who work with other women, men who work in mixed settings, and men who are outnumbered, in that order. And then theres the pressure. With everyones eyes on them, women Onlys can be heavily scrutinized and held to higher standards, the report says. They often feel as though they represent an entire group, and that if they fail, the entire group will be judged along with them. 5. 35% of Women in Full-Time Corporate Sector Jobs Have Experienced Sexual HarassmentAs if that number werent appalling enough, an even higher percentage of certain subsets of women reported experiencing sexual harassment during the course of their careers, including 55% of senior-level women, 48% of les bian women, and 45% of women working in technical fields. In general, employees dont report overwhelming confidence in their companies to properly investigate and address sexual harassment claims. But theres also a gender gap there. While 70% of men think a claim would be fairly investigated and addressed, only 52% of women agree, and while 15% of men believe reporting sexual harassment would be pointless, risky, or uncertain, 30% of women said the same. 6. Women Negotiate for Raises and Promotions as Often as Men DoAnd finally, lets throw some data at the idea that women just dont negotiate as much as men do. The study suggests that in corporate American in 2018, thats just plain wrong. In fact, in the last two years, slightly more women than men reported negotiating. While 29% of men had negotiated for a raise, 31% of women had done the same. And 36% of men negotiated for a promotion compared to 37% of women. 7. Women Are More Likely to See Gender as an Obstacle to AdvancementIts not just that there are fewer women the higher up you look, or that theyre promoted less frequently than their male peers. Nearly a quarter of women, but only 8% of men, believe that their gender has played a role in missing out on a raise, promotion, or chance to get ahead. And 29% of women, compared to only 15% of men, believe their gender will be an obstacle to advancement in the future. If you dig a little deeper, women are also less likely than men to believe that their workplaces are fair, with black women being the least likely to agree that the best opportunities go to the most deserving employees or that promotions are based on fair and objective criteria.The vast majority of companies included in this report say that gender diversity is a priority. But those statements and some of the actions individual organizations have taken arent translating into any significant change in the overall numbers. The report goes on to suggest several strategies companies can use to move th e numbers in the right direction. It starts with clearly articulating diversity goals and holding employees formally accountable for reaching them, especially when it comes to those in positions of power who can model behavior for others. It also means implementing fair hiring and promotion practices that correct for biases, actively working to build an inclusive and respectful culture, and offering flexibility for employees as they manage the demands of work and family. But you dont have to be a CEO or the head of HR to start making change. If these statistics leave you with a bleak outlook, well, were right there with you. But remember that there are small things you can do as a manager or colleague (like these and this) to help push for gender equality at your office, starting today.