Stop doing things for your kids, just do things with them.    Mentioned in This Episode: gravystack.com/smart gravystack.com/igniter smartmoneyparenting.com smartmoneyparenting.com/followus Smart, Not Spoiled: The 7 Money Skills Kids Must Master Before Leaving the Nest by Chad Willardson Value Creation Kid: The Healthy Struggles Your Children Need to Succeed by Scott Donnell and Lee Benson Scott Donnell on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/donnell-scott  Chad Willardson on LinkedIn -...

Does your kid think they’re better than everyone else? Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss how thinking your kids deserve special treatment damages their future. They also reveal a better way to motivate your kids and make them feel proud of their accomplishments. Chad and Scott agree that the best parents tell their kids, “you’re special to me.” Not, “you deserve special treatment.” According to Chad, telling your kids they deserve special treatment makes them walk around with a chip...

How do you save for your children's education? Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson welcome the “accidental financial guy,” Robert Farrington from The College Investor.com. They discuss when it’s a good time to start teaching your children about money, the Y.E.S. acronym, why 529 plans are worth looking into, and the different approaches you could have, in regards to saving for college, depending on your children’s age. Robert Farrington, who labels himself an “accidental financial guy,”...

How do you prepare your kids for college? And what about you – how do you prepare yourself? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss what parents should think about and do when it comes to their children potentially going to college. They share some stats related to education quality and student loan debts, the “financial handcuffs” trap, and what a good gap year actually looks like. Scott kicks off the conversation mentioning a few facts about education, like...

How do you explain what inflation is to your kids? Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson talk about inflation, what it is, why it matters, and how to explain it to your kids. Chad starts the conversation by revealing the leading driver of inflation in the US. According to Chad, if your money isn’t growing, it’s losing a lot of its purchasing power and becoming less valuable. If you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college education, ensure your kids learn valuable and practical...

Do your kids understand how advertising works? In this episode, Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson talk about the impact of advertising on kids. They discuss how learning to decode the message behind an ad is an essential skill for kids and adults alike. Scott and Chad start the conversation by describing how advertising works and the tricks marketers use to get people’s attention. You need to understand that every business is trying to sell you something, whether it’s a good or bad...

Why is integrity important? What do your kids do when no one’s watching? In this episode, Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss why integrity is an important trait in kids. They cover ways parents can teach their kids character and ensure they take responsibility for their actions, especially when nobody's watching. Chad starts the conversation by sharing a sad situation where two young adults caused an accident, looked at the damage, laughed, and walked away. For Chad, the situation...

How often do you high five your kids? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss the benefits of recognizing and celebrating your children's accomplishments, big or small. They also cover why you should praise their efforts and encourage them to pursue their interests and passions. Chad starts the conversation by describing how much morale you can boost in your home by having a positive attitude. The best way to raise a confident kid is to celebrate them. Chad...

Are you a connected family? What is the importance of strong family ties? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss ways parents can give their kids roots and wings. Roots - give them a sense of belonging and knowing where home is. Wings - give them the freedom to explore and conquer the world. You want them to stay rooted in your family culture, but you also want them to fly off and conquer the world. Are families being destroyed? In 1960, 72% of families had a...

What is the difference between wealthy and rich? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss the differences between being wealthy and being rich, as well as how kids can learn to differentiate between the two. Scott starts the discussion by describing how true wealth differs from being rich. Chad doesn't particularly like the term "rich" because owning a bunch of status symbols to keep up with the Joneses is not an actual benchmark of success. For Chad, a massive...

Can kids learn about sales without being sleazy? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss why parents should stop telling their kids that selling is sleazy. They also reveal the sales skills every kid must learn and why sales is not about tricking people into giving you money. Scott starts the conversation by describing his definition of sales and why most people dislike the art of selling. Sales is not sleazy because everybody sells. According to Chad, if selling...

What does the future of education look like? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss how education is slowly moving online and ways parents and kids can use the internet to learn skills necessary for succeeding in the real world. Chad and Scott start the discussion by describing how the internet will change education as we know it. For Scott, education should be about kids learning practical skills that they can use to succeed in the real world. It’s so...

What is the secret to raising exceptional kids? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss the necessary parenting skills to raise Rockstar kids. From fostering a supportive environment to cultivating discipline, creativity, and resilience, the duo uncovers the secrets behind empowering young minds to shine like true stars. Chad and Scott start the conversation by describing the joys of raising super successful kids. Chad shares how his eldest daughter is winning in...

What are you most afraid of when it comes to raising your kids? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson go through the five nightmares all parents have with their kids. They cover the foundation of healthy parent to child relationships, what it takes to raise self-sufficient kids, and why deep down, all kids crave independence. Scott and Chad start the conversation by describing the incredible journey to getting GravyStack online. For Scott, there's no better feeling for...

Do you know about the Tuttle Twins? If not, what resources are you using to help your kids develop critical thinking skills about real-world concepts? In today's episode, Scott Donnell and Connor Boyack discuss ways parents can explain economics, money subjects, and political principles to kids of all ages. Connor Boyack is the founder and president of Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah. He is best known for The Tuttle Twins books, a children's series introducing young...

Is having a purpose in life more important than chasing money? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss why you need to help your kids find their purpose and the financial rewards of chasing purpose instead of money. Chad and Scott start the conversation by talking about their life's mission and why it has never been about making money - all they want is to help parents raise amazing kids. According to Scott, purpose is greater than money. People need a purpose...

How can you prepare your kids for the real world after leaving the nest? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss why you must create a home environment similar to what your kids will find in the real world. Scott starts the conversation by describing when and how parents should start preparing their kids for the real world. Chad reveals the most important lesson he learned growing up. As a parent, your kids need to know that play never comes before work. We work...

What is the key to developing coachability in your kids? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss why coachability is crucial for success for both kids and parents. Chad and Scott break down the concept of coachability and why it’s important for a family’s success. The most successful people have coaches. According to Chad, high performers have coaches and view them as a crucial cog in their path to success. Parents should never match their kid’s emotions. If your...

Should you be firm with your kids? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss how being firm and kind to your kids creates mentally strong and successful kids. They cover the best way to say no to your children and how letting your kids solve their own problems turns them into confident, resilient, and well-rounded individuals. Chad starts the conversation by describing how being firm but kind creates mentally strong and successful kids. Scott describes the...

Scott and Chad sit down and discuss how letting your kids scrape their knees is key to their long-term success and overall resiliency in life. Find out why small struggles and overcoming difficult challenges is important to building confidence and how parents that coddle their children prevent them from growing into all they are meant to be. Kids need to run into small obstacles and challenges like scraping their knees. Scott tells the story of making mistakes as a new and exhausted father....

How do you set and communicate expectations to your kids? In today's episode, hosts Scott Donnell and Chad Willardson discuss the importance of clarity and setting expectations for kids. They also reveal how ambiguity around expectations creates anxiety and chaos for your kids. Ambiguity creates anxiety, but clarity creates confidence in kids. For Scott, you need rules and systems to run a functioning home. However, when you're rigid and structured with your rules, you risk killing your...

Want to know how to raise your kids to become value creators? In today's episode, host Scott Donnell sits down with Lee Benson and Kary Oberbrunner to break down Lee and Scott's new book Value Creation Kid: The Healthy Struggles Your Kid Needs to Succeed. Financial competency is the biggest gap in education because it's not taught in schools or at home. For Lee, smart money parenting is about creating an environment where kids can learn to create value in the world. Scott and Lee believe...

Do your kids know how much money you make? In today's episode, hosts Chad Willardson and Scott Donnell sit down with Shannon Waller from Strategic Coach to discuss the do's and don'ts of talking to your kids about the amount of money you make. Scott and Chad reveal how they talk to their kids about money and the benefits of creating value in the world. What are unique abilities? According to Shannon, these are things you are good at and love to do - so you always want to improve because you...

Is homeschooling better for your child's development? In today's episode, hosts Chad Willardson and Scott Donnell sit down with Kary Oberbrunner to discuss the pros and cons of customized learning and its impacts on your child's future success. Scott and Chad start the discussion by breaking down the benefits of personalizing your child's education based on their strengths, needs, skills, and interests. According to Kary, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Your job as a...