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Jane Kaczmarek
Malcolm's Mom Talks Money
By Shel Franco
JK: You have such a different perspective on it and you are very aware of the ups and downs that happen in a career. The 15 minutes of fame, you realize this might be your only chance to give back, or to make a difference – do it! Don't wait for the next time you are on the top. It is such a roller coaster. You have to just do it.
iP: With so much excess everywhere, how do you avoid your kids being spoiled?
JK: Just say no. I cannot tell you how valuable that word is. No. Why not, they ask? Because it is not for us. Sometimes you just give in because they are driving you crazy. Like my daughter is watching Barney right now. She is just driving me crazy and I am trying to finish decorating the Christmas tree and she is 2 so you think, you know what, let her watch a video in the middle of the day. That's fine. But, for the most part, we play cards and we play Chinese checkers and we play games and puzzles and you practice piano and there are so many great things to do with kids that don't involve money.
Also, just don't buy them a lot of stuff. I just can't stand all that junk piling up.
My church has something called an alternate Christmas fair. They always have booths set up with places like Smile Train and the Heifer Project is a great, great thing where you can buy livestock for people. You can buy a chicken, a goat or a flock of bees throughout the world, including America, where they give people in need these animals and they are able to raise animals and sell them and you get a great little card of a goat or a duck or something. You know, it is fun for kids to be able to do that, to go Christmas shopping in ways that you can buy something that is really going to make a difference in someone's life as opposed to all this stuff.
To learn how other celebrities think about finance, visit www.PracticalMoneySkills.com.
