The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-18
TALKS ON THRIFT
For Your Children's Sake

Il should think i'll of any man who
did not leave his children little bet
ter off materially than himself
Theodore Roosevelt.
Children are expensive. It costs
good deal of money to bring them into
the world 1t costs more to bring
them up-to feed. elothe and educate
them. Nevertheless. there are very few
parents who would not do anything in
their power to promote the well being
of their children. But parents do not
always know what is best for their
offspring
In providing for the present necessi-
ties and comfort of your children. do
not forget the needs OF the future.
Nowadays young people cannot be too
well prepared for the battle of life
You are wise parent therefore, H.
even with a little Inconvenience, you
save money to provide for the thorough
education of your children, and. If pos
sibe, to give them some financial as
sistance in making their start in life.
whatever career they may choose.
While realizing that the success of
your children to a large extent will de-
pend upon the start you give them
when they are young, do, not overlook
the fact that it is not only the amount
of money you leave them that counts,
but also the kind of habits they learn
from you.
The dollar they save out of their own
pocket money. If placed in the bank,
where they can see it grow, means
more than just little money saved up.
1t will mean the firm establishment of
the habit of thrift, which Will mean
a great deal to them all through life.
Thus 1t Is important both to save for
your children and to teach them to save
for themselves. Parents ought to CO.
operate in this work. Household econ
omy naturally will devolve upon the
wife, who, If she is also a mother, may
be trusted to save money. 1t is her
mother instinct which bids her care
for her children, and provide for their
future as well as their present necessi-
ties. The larger planning and econo-
mics will fall to the lot of the hus-
band and father. While the wife is
saving on the household expenses by
judicious buying and careful use, he
is likely to be carrying out some such
plan as was adopted by merchant who
wanted to provide a fund for each one
of his children when they reached the
age of 81. When each child was born
he deposited a dollar in the savings
bank in the child's name On the child's
second birthday he deposited $500 and
he kept this up each year, making a
deposit on each birthday of as many
dollars the child's years. When each
one of his children reached the age
of 21 there was $305.16 to its credit
in the bank. The putting aside of this
small sum of money each year was a
very small item and was not felt, and
yet it piled up quite a respectable sum.
These bank accounts had very sat
isfactory effect on the children. AS
soon as they were told of 1t they took
a great interest in them The con-
sciousness of having a bank account
had the effect of making them want
to increase it. The result was that
they began to save on their own ac-
count at an early age. One child had
saved s100 long before she was 10
years old, largely money which other
wise would have been wasted in use
less luxuries.
Teaching children the value of money
is very important part of their edu-
cation, and one which is sadly neg
lected in many homes and schools
today. Too many of us make the grave
mistake of assuming that children who
have spent the most impressionable
part of their lives in careless disre-
gard of thrift will suddenly become
frugal and provident as they grow up.
Thrift does not come at our beck and