Response to Kelly

The problem with Boyack's approach to work is that she was very specific about what she felt children could do at certain ages (those lists were nice) and she was very emphatic about making your children work--but she didn't really have a plan to implement it per se. She said that kids get bored with the same approach so she rotated through different job charts. Basically, her chapters on work were to motivate parents to think that children working was important.

I also didn't agree with everything she said about raising independent children. For example, she told the story of when she was having a primary presidency meeting in her kitchen and her three year old came in and made a peanut butter sandwich on the floor and then left the kitchen eating it. Boyack used the story as a good example of letting your kids be independent. I thought it was a good story to illustrate why her kids needed to work so much (letting kids eat anywhere but at the kitchen table pretty much drives me nuts). Her tolerance levels for certain things are clearly different from mine. I'm not trying to judge her--I'm just saying my type A personality is not okay with crumbs all over the floor and babies eating wherever they please.

I still think the work chapters are worthwhile because it is important for our kids to learn to work and it is worth it to allow a little mess to facilitate independence. But overall, the chapters on finance were the best part of the book.