Rich Mom~ Poor Mom

My Heart's Cry?  To raise independent, insatiably curious loving learning, bold and godly adults.  My goal as I was handed those little (relative term in our house) bundles that encapsulated all of my love and hope for the future.

When my oldest was born and I was twenty one I knew that life was no longer about me but rather about us.  Our family.  

The future of this little baby was now entwined into mine.   Into ours.  Terrified?  Clueless? Absolutely!  Determined?  Fiercely.  

Did anyone think we could do it?  Not hardly.  Most gave us a snowballs chance in you know where.  We were "poor" by all economical standards.


 David and I had determined several things before our children were born.
1.  We would stick it out to the end.
2.  We would read to them everyday right away so they had a love of learning.
3.  We would pray, work, strive and do whatever it took.
4.  We would have a weekly family night.
5.  We would go to church as a family. (This was before we were Pastors.)
6.  We would read the Bible to them! 
7.  We would be givers.


I left school and the work place to be at home providing child care to others to fill in the gaps.  No the boys don't see it yet as a sacrifice of love.  

 But I know.  I know that little boys having the chance to play in the dirt and chasing bugs was a great opportunity.  I know that those hours and hours of reading the same books over and over and over again has impacted their brains.  I know that having absolute and unconditional love is a blessing that they might not ever grasp.

One day the Home Based Head Start lady came to our door.  Since we were hired hands we qualified and she began to come and play with us.  Through her information and classes I heard continuously that poverty hampers learning.  

And I argued with her.  Was it poverty or a poverty mentality? There is a difference between poor and broke.  A huge difference between a poverty or an abundance mentality. Poor people in economic standards can absolutely raise readers and hard workers!

I still argue.  Learned helpless is not a gift.  If we keep telling people that if they are poor that their kids are behind then...that will be the case.

As soon as on-line classes were a possibility...I took classes again.  Mostly at the time around the interest of my kids.  Early Childhood classes and Family Development.  One class at a time.  I didn't have internet so late at night I would be at church typing away.  God provided.

I was asked frequently.  "Why are you taking classes when you are just at home?" Because I'm teaching my kids.

I started working with families who were struggling.  It required intensive parenting training.  STEP Parenting or Strategic Training for Effective Parenting and Nurturing Parenting and Boundaries.  Those families taught me so much! We absorbed the information like a sponge.  

God's mercy allowed us to learn goals of misbehavior and natural consequences and boundary development.  We didn't know what we were doing and had fallen back on what we knew as our kids got older (which wasn't the best!)

I kept taking classes.  Organization leadership.  Special Education.  Adolescent Psychology.  Theology.  Christian Education.  Philosophy.  During supper we might have political and theological or philosophical discussions (sometimes heated) and usually all three.  What did we believe and why?

 

Although we have begun to have money to manage...we don't have a clue how to manage it.   So we are learning...together.  Budgets, retirement, emergency funds, insurance and even investing.  Although we are not there...we are learning together.

God has blessed us to be around very wealthy people and extremely "poor" people financially.  We have seen humbleness, gratitude and pride and genius in both.  And...we have learned from both. 

Am I a Rich Mom or Poor Mom?

Many times I've been a broke mom but I've always considered myself a Rich Mom!  I'm going to get rich financially~or at least free and independent.  

But I've always and will always have an abundance mentality!

I'm Definitely a Rich Mom!