We are lucky to live in a country that’s full of opportunities, and as a parent, I’ve seen firsthand how many different options I have when it comes to helping my children grow and develop. But all that choice can be overwhelming too as I struggle to decide what opportunities are worth the investment of time and money and which ones aren’t. I manage the household finances very carefully so ensuring I’m making wise choices is very important to me. Here are the three investments that I believe are worth every penny when it comes to ensuring your child’s future success:
Invest in Travel
There is no experience more rewarding and educational than seeing another part of the world. Travel can be expensive, but the investment gives back so much in life experience that it’s one I think is well worth making. My mom took me on a trip to Finland and Cyprus when I was just eight years old and I still remember how much I learned and grew on that journey. Now as a parent myself, I’m determined to ensure that my boys get that same life experience that travel provides. And I’ve seen for myself how beneficial travel is to my boys even when our destination is a nearby city. Whether you head to a neighbouring province to explore its heritage or save up for a large, once-in-a-lifetime trip somewhere exotic, money spent travelling with your child is always a wise investment in their future.
Invest in Culture
Whether your child is a budding artist, a natural musician or a born actor, helping him to develop those skills with professional lessons is a great investment. Lessons that help a child develop his natural talent do more than just improve his skill level. Professional instruction boosts confidence and teaches children an important lesson about their ability to improve their skills through practice and dedication. My oldest son develops his skills through weekly karate courses. While he failed the previous year’s exam and remained a white belt for two full years, he graduated to the next colour of belt this year! I’m happy that he’s taking part in an activity he enjoys, but I’m even happier he’s learning that practice and hard work are sometimes necessary before getting a reward.
Invest in Education
When I was in my twenties, my boss at the time told me, “Kat, tomorrow you could wake up and lose everything. You could lose your job, your house, your money and your friends anytime for any reason. But the one thing that nobody can take away from you is your education.” Over a decade later, I still remember those words, which to me are a passionate testament to the importance of lifelong learning. When my boys are ready to further their education, I want to be able to help them achieve their goals. That’s why they both have RESPs. Choosing a trusted company like Heritage Education Funds just makes sense when it comes to giving your child the best start in life! I strongly recommend that you learn more about the company’s RESP plans and the various grants for which you may qualify to find the best options for your family on their website at, HeritageRESP.com. Besides, you can even enter to win one of eight $2500 RESPs at HeritageRESP.com/WinARESP! This is one investment that should definitely be a top priority for any parent.
From educational software and private schools to expensive sports equipment and kids’ camps, there are all kinds of different options available for parents that want to give their children a head start in life. But in my mind, these three investments are the ones that are most important to make. With the knowledge gained through visiting other places in the world, the life lessons learned developing a skill and the finances to choose a future career and apply that life learning to a post-secondary program, there’s no limit to what a child can accomplish. Start your child’s RESP today and make an investment in his future success!
RESP’s are definitely the way to go when saving for your child’s education!
This is a great article! I think it is so important to teach your children how to give.
I love this! We find all of these things important. Travel is a big one for us, and we have taken our children to Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Hawaii, Quebec, Manitoba and California, as well as many places within our own province. We value travel so much that we put 10% of all our paycheques into a travel fund (used to be 15% before kids but we need that extra 5% for other things now…) to ensure that we are always able to plan future trips. We also have put the $2500/year amount into both their RESPs every year since birth, so their education funds are growing well too. Education is so important. We don’t overschedule them too much into programs yet, as they are only young (7 & 1) but they are usually enrolled in at least one class per session – right now it’s swimming. As a family, we would much rather spend our money on experiences than things, so while we may not always have the newest clothes, toys etc we get a lot of pleasure out of what we are doing in life. My parents raised me that way, and I hope to pass on the same love of “doing” rather than “having” to my kids as well. Being educated, worldly, and multi-faceted has opened lots of doors for my husband and I, and we hope that our girls will have the same result.
Well said, Jennifer! That’s exactly what I’ve found too; the experiences are worth so much more than any gadget and produce so many positive life lessons. I LOVE the idea of having a special 10% travel fund too!
I agree,children need money for schooling so they can start life not in the red
I agree. All important experiences to give your child.
I definitely agree with saving for our childrens education. unfortunately my husband and I haven’t had the extra money to even put a little bit aside for our daughter and now we have another on the way so hoping for some good news our way so we can start saving for them because my parents never did that for me and now i am stuck paying off student debt. so i would like to at least save up some money to help them out
We have them for our kids as well. I wish my parents would have done this for me. It’s so nice to have something to help out as education is so expensive these days!
so agree on the education bit; as for travel I haven’t done much; in fact I think we should travel our country and learn about it and see the places first hand.
Thanks those are interesting think to think about. Neither my husband or I traveled growing up, so we do think that is something important (and fun) to do with our kids.
I would rather they have experiences than “things” as gifts at the holidays.
In this country, you gotta get educated first. Then when you get the education, you get the money. Then when you get the money, then you get the power.
Travel was an enriching activity when my kids were smaller.Simple things like experiencing a real Alberta winter like me and my hubby grew up in was very eye opening to them.