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Show School and Home 1 by Dr. Daryl J. McCarty - ' Executive Secretary Utah Education Association mj Somebody once said that "what this country needs is a five-cent nickel." Inflation does erode the value of money, but there's another time when a dollar just isn't worth a dollar. That's when we spend it without receiving a dollar's worth of value in return. Studies are showing that young people are not fully aware of our country's economic eco-nomic system. But Utah's schools have a mandate to correct this situation. A new law states that "all public high schools shall give instruction on the essentials fimiimiiiiiiimmiiiimiimniHiiifltfiinitimmmnri and benefits of the free enterprise system." There are ways that you can reinforce the schools' efforts to help your children understand money matters. Admittedly, it isn't an easy task. In fact, a very intelligent friend of mine claims that nuclear physics is much easier to understand than economics. If our children are to prosper in this society, they must learn to cope with the economic system. Many times each week you have opportunities to help them to understand. Why not let them help you to create a family budget? Afterward, they could follow it throughout the month, agonizing with you when an unexpected expense, like a repair bill for the refrigerator, arises. 1 You might let them see the bills when they arrive. It might ' be an eye-opener for your ' children to see what the family ' spends for electricity-and give ' them more incentive to turn ' the lights off when they're not ' in use. Take them shopping with you. Let them discuss with you large purchases, such as a new car, a home, or farm equip- ment. Unless they learn that the c money the spend must be balanced by income, they will find trouble somewhere a- head. , |