"The MoneySmart Family System" Review

The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson’s blog book review group, Book Sneeze, was “The MoneySmart Family System” by Steve and Annette Economides.  This couple has written several books, and is known as America’s Cheapest Family.  The book is a non-fiction, 250 page guidebook to almost every area of raising children you can think of.  In a society where the adolescent stage is being stretched in both directions (kids are growing mature too quickly, but then not ‘growing up’ fast enough!), this book gives great, age appropriate, guidelines for how to encourage your kids to be smart with their (your) money.  Each chapter has a section at the end that addresses how the idea could be handled for different age groups. (0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18-23, and 24 and beyond)  This structure really helps, as a parent, to see what things you should implement now with the age child you have, and what things would be helpful as they grow.  This family has 5 children, and they give lots of good examples to back their suggestions.  I found some of the information to be so detailed, that it almost was too much to remember and take in. Other than that, I would highly recommend this book as a practical guide to teaching children about handling money in a wise way!