I was happy to hear the other day that President Barack Obama is toying with the idea of letting his
daughters get babysitting jobs in the not-too-distant future. The President's daughters, Malia and Sasha, are now 12 and 9, respectively.
In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" program, President Obama said: "What I'm doing now with Malia and Sasha is they're getting an allowance. They're starting to get old enough where they may be able earn some money babysitting," the President noted, adding: "They've got their own savings accounts."
One advantage of being the President of the United States is that you've got a huge platform from which you can not only help set the national agenda, you can also set a good example for Americans -- and indeed citizens everywhere.
By talking to his daughters -- and to the public at large -- about Malia and Sasha getting jobs, the President reinforces to everyone that money should be
earned, not simply doled out, even in well-to-do families. Kids especially need to understand that money doesn't just magically appear. Sure, some people might inherit money, or marry into it. But most of us have to acquire money the old-fashioned way: by working to earn it.
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Pampered Princesses
Malia and Sasha Obama: The unexpected stars of their dad's presidential campaign, Malia and Sasha Obama dazzled with their beauty, fun personalities and seemingly down-to-earth natures. Since their worldwide introduction nearly two years ago, everything about the first daughters, from their clothes to their hair to their school, has been incessantly documented and admired. But through it all they've seemed to handle the pressures of life in the spotlight with good nature and grace.
Pete Souza, Official White House Photo
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Pampered Princesses
Jessie James and D'Lila Star Combs: The two littlest Combs' are spared no expense in their Los Angeles upbringing: shopping sprees at hip boutique Kitson, gold nameplate necklaces before they were even able to read their names, plus all the love and attention from their former model mommy Kim Porter and all-around-fly-guy dad Sean "Diddy" Combs, not to mention a host of older siblings (between mom and dad they've got four). And just because they're the youngest of the clan, doesn't mean they come last, especially since they're always dad's guest stars of choice for Diddy TV.
Pampered Princesses
Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons: Born to fashion and hip-hop royalty Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons, these little stars aren't just princesses; they're moguls-in-training. And since the girls have been in the Phat Farm-Baby Phat spotlight practically since birth (their mom ends all of her runway shows with the girls in tow), it's no wonder that they now star in Baby Phat Girlz campaigns and host their own fashion shows.
Pampered Princesses
Ava Dash She was born into a pedigree fit for a princess, what with fashion designer mom Rachel Roy and music and fashion exec dad Damon Dash, not to mention "Uncle Jay-Z," who's godfather to her older brother, Damon Dash Jr. And Ava seems to enjoy living the good life in Manhattan with her mother and younger sister, Talullah, attending movie premieres, fashion shows, posing for magazines and traveling the world.
Pampered Princesses
Keke Palmer: Laying claim to the black Disney princess throne handed down by Raven-Symone, Keke stars in the hit show 'True Jackson, VP' while still making time for a film career ('Akeelah and the Bee') and a budding singing career (she sings the theme song for 'True' and her work has also appeared on the soundtrack to 'Night at the Museum'). Beyond her talent, she's growing into a media favorite as well, with images from her life out-and-about in L.A. constantly popping up in blogs and magazines.
Pampered Princesses
Malia and Sasha Obama: The unexpected stars of their dad's presidential campaign, Malia and Sasha Obama dazzled with their beauty, fun personalities and seemingly down-to-earth natures. Since their worldwide introduction nearly two years ago, everything about the first daughters, from their clothes to their hair to their school, has been incessantly documented and admired. But through it all they've seemed to handle the pressures of life in the spotlight with good nature and grace.
Pampered Princesses
Willow Smith: Blessed with her mother Jada Pinkett-Smith's beauty and dad Will Smith's personality, Willow is a princess to watch. She grabbed media attention in 2009 when she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert with only half of a head of hair, a la older stars like Cassie and Rihanna. Along with brother Jaden, she's also a mini-philanthropist, serving as a Hasbro youth ambassador to project Zambia, which helps African kids orphaned by AIDS.
Pampered Princesses
Reginae Carter: Rapper Li'l Wayne's oldest child spent the first decade or so of her life in the background, but in the past couple of years she's stepped into the spotlight with appearances on her mom's reality show, 'Tiny and Toya,' performing in the hip-hop group OMG Girlz (which also features Tameka "Tiny" Cottle's daughter Zonnique) and even appearing onstage with her dad and rapper Drake during 2009's BET Awards.
Pampered Princesses
Vanessa and Angela Simmons: Like their younger cousins Ming and Aoki, Rev. Run of Run DMC's daughters were raised in hip-hop's royal family. And as the eldest heirs to the family fortune, the sisters have already hit the ground running to make the family proud. In the past few years they've starred in two reality shows ('Run's House' and spin-off 'Daddy's Girls'), launched a successful accessories line, Pastry, and grown into bonafide socialites, hitting shows during New York Fashion Week and attending events in Los Angeles.
Pampered Princesses
Yara Shahidi: With her starring role in 'Imagine That' alongside Eddie Murphy and Nicole Ari Parker and last year's Gap Kids campaign, Yara's well on her way to mainstream stardom. Born to model Keri Salter-Shahidi, she started modeling when she was just a baby with her mom (the two even appeared in a McDonald's commercial together) before venturing into acting. She's starring in another film this year, 'Unthinkable' with Sam Jackson, so we're betting this little princess is here to stay.
Pampered Princesses
Chudney Ross: The daughter of Diana Ross and music exec Robert Silberstein, Chudney makes no apologies for her privileged background or the instant fame it's brought her. Like older sis Tracee Ellis Ross, she doesn't let her superstar mother do all the work though. After graduating from Georgetown University she taught for years in public schools before moving to Los Angeles to take up her post in the city's famous daughter club.
Pampered Princesses
As a
Money Coach and a parent of three young children -- who are 12, 10 and 4 years old -- I was gratified to know that the President is teaching his children financial literacy. Even though the Obama girls will grow up in a very wealthy household, the President clearly wants to guard against them developing affluenza. He also mentioned that he's educating his girls about savings, interest and money-management. We should all encourage children to adopt good financial habits, the earlier the better.
My four-year-old, Alexis, enjoys buying "treats" from WalMart or getting new clothes from Target. But she also loves to save her coins and dollars bills, and have me read to her kids books that are related to money-management. One such set of books is a series of money-management titles I co-wrote for children, called
The Millionaire Kids Club.
As I explained in
an interview on FOX Business Network, these
multicultural books, aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 12, teach kids not only that money is earned, but that kids have choices with money: namely that they can save it, spend it, invest it, or donate it.
Frankly, that's a lesson a lot of us adults need to learn too.
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times best seller
'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'
Comments: (3)
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By: Donna on 7/28/2010 3:56PM
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU Mr. President! It's never too early or too late to talk to your children about working and saving money! Give them a broom or a rake at three years old and pay them a big fat nickle and give them their piggy bank! One would be surprised to the thousands of children of today, not only the wealthy, but middle class who are still living with their parents well into their 30"s! Too scared to go out on their own and get a job. They sleep in till 12:00 noon everyday! If their parents had started out early showing them by example to get up and take on a paper route, cutting grass, or something, they wouldn't have this burden of scared, lazy, irresponsible kids!
Come on now. You know I'm right
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By: clevemc on 7/28/2010 7:27PM
Donna, let me say this in my Barry White voice, "Sho' you Right"! LOL!
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By: MR DUYILEMI. on 8/30/2010 12:54PM
Thank to Our great president of our life time,for sharing his ways of giving his children all basic life of how to work and earn money and to save money.The percentage of family in the usa dont teach thier children as early age, they wait till they grow before telling or enforced what to be done at thier early age. charity begin at home....give all you can give to them to grow with at thier early age ...dont wait . The good example is what our beloved president say...some Mothers are the downfall to thier children life...People dont want to change....Our president want changes in our old practise..Some woman/men are very luck to married to non-American citizen but they dont know how great they are until thier children become a well known to the world about thier character and how to handle simple hudles...The Holly Bible say teach your children while they are young......? the role of leadership start from home...if they dont have it from home they will never know when ther are outside on the job/office among each other or in the societies as whole...My advice to Family in the whole world is to work together as a team the bring up this children...they are the leader tomorrow...Education without morality are failure.Mother has the great impact on upbring this kids...most especially when the father know what it take to produce great kids. Materials thing are the mother ways to please thier children...some use that against thier father that give them all it take make them to be a man or good woman in the future. for example Mr Bill Crosby say when your children come home at day/ night with pocket full of almighty dollars ..without working any where you can be proud of...you embrace him...he/she pay your bills...buying food...even come home with luxurus cars/vehicles..you never question him because you benefit from it...Wait until the sheriff knock on your door with warrant of his arrest...you start crying to the court...saying he is a good boy..where were you when he come home with all the money/cars etc then...Embrace your child when he is doing the right thing...listen ....good morality....good education....teach then how to save thier little allowance...the out come of this will be great for you and him in the future...He/she will be a good citizen of this great Nation and the world..People always say they are poor in usa....most especially the black family...Please stop..Find your way out of USA then you will see what they call poor...SOME are born great...but never know how to say thanks to GOD.Woooman/mothers creat majority of thier children problem because no matter how foreigner they married to try to give the best to thier children they dont like it...We need to change to better not to worst..Closed the door of poverty for life...if you buy what you need not what you want.People leave above thier means...usa government here render some people useless.Every first of the month go to the local food stores in your neighbourhood ...look at how wooman load the cart with food stuffs...wait till on the 10th of the month...the local store bearly sell soda or gallon of milk...Teach your children how to manage what you have....not to waist the little food you buy once a month...People are lucky to have goverment that care about thier citizen...but how many people appreciate it? We need to learn to change like our president say it.whatever you teach your children when they are small will follow them for ever....God bless America. With Love to you all....
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