An economist's seven rules for raising kids

It's come to this, you've been blessed with children. They're growing up. And now you've got a house full of kids.

Yes, of course. But have you ever considered applying economic principles to managing a large household? Here are some real lessons learned from two Ph.D. economists with five kids. The basic key is to reinforce simple old fashioned values with the right incentives.

We don't offer a weekly allowance. If our kids want anything beyond basics, they have to earn the money. Make sure to set firm limits on TV watching and keep just one small-screen TV in the house (which discourages the adults from watching, too). And impose tight restrictions on silly video/computer games.

silly video/computer games.

The best remotely guided fighter pilots in 2050 are going to be the best computer game players that are ankle biters today.

While I understand what the author is saying, a certain acceptance of reality is required.

Long game folks. Long game. Plan for 50 years out, and figure you are underestimating the change by a factor of 10 at least. We're linear thinking creatures.

Life is exponential, and we just hit the knee of the curve.

/johnny

And require them to read Henry Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson twice. once in middle school and once in high school. They can never be taken in by Marxist or Keynesian or any other fraudulent or Utopian schemes again. They may choose to ignore their programming but they will always be uneasy about it because they will automatically think through the effects of any given proposed policy and will know where it must lead.

Ooh ! Ooh ! * Waves hand in air * I did that !

I made them read Economics in One Lesson in High School. Plus Thomas Sowell’s book Basic Economics. We homeschool.

They are both conservatives, 24 and 21. The youngest, a senior in HIgh School, will read them this year.

Too easy when you read it in a Text Book... difficult if not impossible to control... just keeping them from getting hurt was painful but you have to try.
My kids were (still are brainiacs) over achievers and much better than I am ... but “I” did that, “I” planted that seed (only the EX- Wife knows for sure about the “First Seed”) but she cannot argue that all the kids are spitten images of Dad when it comes to self reliance, responsibility for ones actions and individuality (the power of the Individual)... they get Smartass and some of those other redeeming qualities from the woman that I married, that helped me raise them.

One day at the Gun Range with the offspring and the Ex’s argument that her input was / is the dominant input will be quickly be put to rest... all my kids are good shots and very competitive ...

Tip to young Dad’s 22’s are cheap, Ammo is cheap and your baby Girl figures out pretty quick that she can be a better shot than her big brother and that is really something to behold and witness...

For the price of a Movie and Popcorn you can spend an entire day at the Range and then for hours afterwards the lovely debate between the siblings about who did what, when, how, who was the best shot and what will happen the next time they go to the Range.

Then you also get the opportunity to clean guns, a joy and pleasure that for some reason I did not manage to pass on to the kids. For them it was like washing dishes.
(I am sure that once they get older Hoppes #9 will be as sexy as Chanel #5)

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