Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
We'd all agree, I think, that raising a generation of Americans resistant to the temptations of Obamanomics is important. But how? What are the keys, the two or three take-home messages that kids need to hear in order to grasp, deep-down and forever, the merits of capitalism and the free market?
Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with a few easy-to-understand basics -- a sort of parents' guide for teaching economics. I'll start, but please add whatever you've found works.
First and foremost, my goal has been to hard-wire into our kids the understanding that a free economy is not a zero-sum game -- that one's riches do not come at the expense of others -- but a "spiral of mutual gain", as George Gilder explains so perfectly in Wealth and Poverty, and more recently in The Israel Test. Wealth is not finite; it is every day created. And since transactions are voluntary, dollars are essentially "certificates of performance" (Walter Williams), and a full wallet is evidence not that one has taken, but that one has produced, served, given.
Kid: Dad, can I have my allowance?
Dad: That depends. Have you served your fellow man? (i.e., stacked the firewood, straightened up the house, etc.)
Kid: [rolls eyes] That line again?
That not-zero-sum understanding of the free market is the key insight, in my opinion. It's counterintuitive to many -- including high school teachers around here, I've found -- but once a kid gets it at a deep gut level, so many leftist impulses melt away: resentment of the rich (those who've served their fellow man so damn much, that is), obsession with "gaps", covetousness, even anti-Americanism (Obama: naughty America "consumes" at such and such a rate, rather than "produces" or "creates") and anti-Semitism (typical UN member: the Arabs are poor because the Jews are rich, etc.).
Even better, this proper grasp of capitalism gives an unexpected boost to the moral training of kids: Not only does it provide a sort of inoculation against the urge to violate the 10th Commandment, but the knowledge that one's economic good fortune is most dependent upon bringing good fortune to others "transforms the Golden Rule into a practical agenda" (Gilder again).
And if that isn't a good message to give kids, I don't know what is.
What else? What's worked for you?
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Nov '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
I work and work with my kids for years, and it doesn't always seem like ideas sink in. But recently, one did.
My eleven-year old daughter just lost a large sum of birthday assets ($75--cringe). She had been carrying around her entire nest egg in her small purse, without my knowledge, and left the purse at a friend's house where it seems to have vanished.
So now she is planning Christmas presents, and is desperate for money. She keeps asking me for jobs to do; I'm happy to comply.
Last week, she asked to clean the mudroom and we agreed on a couple of dollars, me thinking this was going to be a quick once-over. However, she spent over an hour. She removed furniture, set items out, swept, wiped surfaces, mopped, vacuumed, shook rugs, put everything back more attractively than before, and put away her supplies.
I put out a five dollar bill for her, and she was so pleased. She kept examining it and smiling. This was her reaction when I gave her $5 for another hard job a previous week. She does not do this with money that comes easily.
Dec '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
I wonder at times if people (my kids especially) are born socialists who must be civilized into capitalists.
Nov '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
I have other thoughts, too, but must get back to work.
Quickly: Explain to kids that conservatives are absolutely interested in helping the needy--it's a different approach based on different principles. We want to freely contribute to help where we can, not have our money taken from us to help support a growing public sector. ("You know how it takes me so long to get my work hours in? Well, they take X amount of dollars for taxes out of the X I make for every working hour. Some of this money goes to support more government workers and sometimes people who don't work.")
Jul '11
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
A quick explanation of socialism is to see if they would be willing to "share" their grades, the ones they worked hard for, with the slacker who never turns in their homework on time...
My kids never got "allowance", they worked for their money. Also, since they were very young, money they got as gift always got deposited in their savings account, and they were aware of interest etc. They were allowed to withdraw when needed.
They also had bond and stock portfolios, and we "re-balanced" their investments every year. They saw stock prices go up and down, and we played "fake" investment games for them to learn about money.
One of the worst thing you can do is as a parent not talk to kids about money. We talked a lot about it - and as a result, they are squarely in the fiscal conservative column.
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
One of my writing projects laying on the pile (and might not get picked up for awhile) is to respond to a paper Paul Rubin wrote years ago called "folk economics", that people untrained in economics care more about fairness than do those with training. My hypothesis is that this can be best overcome not by economists but by parents; your example is a good example of what I am looking for.
Living a nomadic life, as we did millenia ago, fostered a preference for social insurance -- hunting groups, tribes, communes. Could we be imprinted at birth with that, and only by nurture can we overcome an anti-market bias?
Aug '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
The best way to teach your kids is always through example. Kids have a keen eye for hypocrisy. If you try to teach them the value of economic conservatism but they hear you complaining about not getting your government benefits, they'll just be cynical about it.
Instead of telling them that they should be saving their money, show them by example by saving your own money. Have a talk at the dinner table about how you wanted that shiny new whatever, but you realized that you had to be responsible and put the money away to protect your future. Don't complain about the rich people next door. Don't talk about how 'unfair' it is that you didn't get something someone else did. Show your kid how to live a good, happy life as a conservative, and do things that make your children proud of you, so that they'll want to be like you.
THEN you can teach them some formal economics.
Edited on December 10, 2012 at 9:35pmNov '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
My son became a conservative the day he first paid taxes, around age 8. He saved money to buy the Star Wars AT-AT walker toy, which if I remember right was about $80. He had about $100 saved up, and we went to the store. He knew the price was $80 but couldn't understand why the cashier asked him for close to $90. The cashier told him "That's the sales tax." Kenneth said, "I hate taxes." And just like that, an angel got it's wings.
Nov '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
I have told my daughter that, when she makes decisions about what to do with her life, she should consider that the amount of money you make is at least a rough measure of the amount of value you provide to the world.
Oh, and she too hates taxes--both of the sales variety and those that occur in "The Game of Life."
Nov '11
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
Check out this excellent econtalk.org podcast interview with David Owen, the author of First National Bank of Dad. Owen talks about out he taught his children the value of saving by paying his children interest on money that they "deposited" with him.
Like our own Dave Carter, Econtalk's host, Russ Roberts, is a national treasure. If you listen to his weekly podcasts (out every Monday morning) you know what I mean.
Edited on December 10, 2012 at 10:32pmFeb '11
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
We don't give an allowance here at Toad Hall -- if you want $$, you need to work for it.
Everyone has non-negotiable chores, such as sweeping, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, setting and clearing the table, feeding the cats -- these do not earn money, just parental goodwill (a valuable commodity!).
Stacking/splitting firewood, taking care of the smelly chickens (in the winter, when our outdoor hoses are turned off, bringing out fresh water from the house 2x a day can be tough for a kid) which includes cleaning out the chicken house once a week, clearing brush, certain garden chores, building stuff with Dad, etc. -- earns about $5 an hour.
Some indoor chores can be done by enterprising youth for $$, but most often they don't ask for those jobs.
I kind of think that giving $$ and calling it an allowance is counter to the goal of raising a conservative, unless it is specifically linked to specific work, in which case I don't really think it is an allowance. My children are fed, housed, educated, and clothed -- that's our gift to them. Any money they want from us they better do something for it.
Nov '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
My teenager was inspired by the idea that the free market is a spontaneous, emergent, self-regulating system that grows out of the simple idea of people free to contract with one another - the government's role being only to enforce freely-entered contracts.
We used to compare the ecological system (also a spontaneous, emergent, self-regulating system) to the economy and we would compare one or another regulation as a reckless spraying of insecticide in the economic rain forest. His teachers made him aware of unintended consequences in tampering with the real rain forest, so the transition was easy.
Economic and ecological systems are comparably "awesome" in the parlance of those days, sadly long past.
Edited on December 10, 2012 at 11:29pmFeb '12
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
You should see the looks I get from my wife when I interject
"Share!?, That's loser talk!",into my kids disputes.
On a serious note, children do have the start of a sense of private property. Mine, mine , mine. It is respecting others property that is tricky.
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
David John: My teenager was inspired by the idea that the free market is a spontaneous, emergent, self-regulating system that grows out of the simple idea of people free to contract with one another - the government's role being only to enforce freely-entered contracts.
We used to compare the ecological system (also a spontaneous, emergent, self-regulating system) to the economy and we would compare one or another regulation as a reckless spraying of insecticide in the economic rain forest. His teachers made him aware of unintended consequences in tampering with the real rain forest, so the transition was easy.
Since Russ Roberts was mentioned earlier, you may want to point your teen to Roberts' book, The Price of Everything. It's a didactic novel that I think teens will like. Adults too.
Feb '12
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
Have them do some mission work at nurseing home with welfare patiences. Also have them see you doing mission work as well.They will see how they don't want to end up and they will see how to help people
May '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
Thanks for the comments, all.
Quick story to illustrate how thinking of dollars as "certificates that prove one has served his fellow man" creates good instincts in kids:
My daughter and I were in a room full of liberal adults who were riffing on how the pipeline from Canada shouldn't be built because "the oil companies just want it cuz they'll make more money -- it's just so obvious!". My daughter and I exchanged knowing smiles. She knew -- and I knew she knew -- that the fact that the oil companies would make money is exactly the argument for the pipeline: Allow them to serve their fellow man, for heavan's sake!
May '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
sawatdeeka:
Quickly: Explain to kids that conservatives are absolutely interested in helping the needy....
Yes. I often make the point to our kids that we're conservative because we care about the poor.
Conservatives need to make that case more, imo.
Aug '12
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
In addition to paying for chores, we gave bonuses for time spent helping others or volunteering. We talked about savings for large upcoming expenses and about investment choices while at the dinner table, so that they could hear our prioritizing and overhear our banking and investment practices.
I have a book recommendation that I have made on another thread at Ricochet. This turned both sons into monetarists, and sent the younger son on a course to become an economics major (he graduates in May): "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?" It is written at a tenth-grade level. We used it as a read-aloud family book when older son was in 8th grade and younger son in 5th.
I also have a game recommendation. "Gazillionaire!," by LavaMind: http://www.lavamind.com/
It was a hoot. Both sons had a good time with the game, but only Snooks ever beat the game. (Well, with an MBA she had an advantage.)
Dec '12
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
In addition to these mostly great suggestions, expose your children to literature that reflects a conservative world view. Very early they can start on classic tales like The Three Little Pigs, The Little Red Hen, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel. These deal with the importance of work, delaying gratification, charity, and a hopeful spirit.
Aug '12
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
Why have I not heard Monopoly mentioned yet?
One of the best lessons that my cousin and I learned about economics was when we upped the ante and not only took whatever taxes and fees were paid into the Free Parking lottery, but also a $500 bill...
Three days later, I (yes I'm gloating) won the game with some $30,000 in cash, but the thrill was gone because we both knew how many fake Monopoly dollars we'd created to fulfill the banks obligations.
My winnings were beyond worthless, but the lesson was priceless.
May '10
Re: Parents' Guide to Raising Economic Conservatives
Kay Ludlow: Why have I not heard Monopoly mentioned yet?
OK, here's a Monopoly story:
One of my son's teachers used Monopoly to demonstrate a social studies lesson -- how rich people have an advantage in life. She started some students off with loads of money and others with very little and had them play the game. Soon enough the "rich" kids had all the money and the "poor" kids were ruined.
So the class learned from this exercise that the economy is a zero-sum game, that the rich are rich because others are poor, etc.
It's enough to make a father insane.