This post was sponsored by Erie Insurance as part of an Influencer Activation and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Every single day our children are listening to me, watching me, learning from my example. I am their first example of what a man should be. I am their first example of what a husband should be. I’m their first example of what a father should be. As their father, I have the power to empower them and future generations to come.
This time with our children, while they are still young, is moving quickly. Our babies are not babies anymore. Now we have teenagers in our house.
I know that it may seem like teaching our kids to share, to recognize their letters, and to become independent feel so important when they are young… but as they age, we realize how many things we still need to teach them.
Time will pass you by in a blink of a moment. It’s up to us, their parents, to prepare them for their future. While we need to help them learn to depend on themselves, we also need to teach them those practical & serious things.
Becky and I have four children, and we know that our kids are watching everything we do.
We have the power to encourage, influence, and prepare them to do the right things in life, just as our parents encouraged, influenced, and encouraged us.
As parents, we involve ourselves in our interests and we get involved in theirs…
We use every opportunity to grow as a family and as individual people. It’s up to us, their parents, to teach them character skills, life skills, and practical skills.
On the same note, it’s also up to us to teach our kids how to take care of themselves, so they can one day take care of their own families. As a co-owner of a business, with a background in finance, it was only natural to teach our kids about the importance of saving money, investing in stocks, having insurance, and saving for retirement.
I remember my parents telling my brother and me that we have so many amazing things to do in life, so it is important to prepare for things so we don’t have to worry about the “what-ifs.” If we are prepared, we can enjoy every day! We can create memories, have fun, and enjoy the little things.
Take a note from our son & jump in with both feet…
Our parents taught us and we are already teaching our kids. I remember my parents talking to us about bank accounts, 401k accounts, life insurance policies, and college savings plans. We were always around, listening, so they used it as an opportunity to teach us.
We do the same thing with our kids. We talk to them. We show them how important these types of accounts are. They see how hard we work on our own family business, and they see that we are choosing to save our money and invest in their futures, instead of spending it on frivolous things.
On the same note, they see that we always put living our lives & being with our family before buying ‘things’. We always put experiences and memories before materials and goods.
When I was young, I remember the first time my father spoke to me about life insurance. It was right after my paternal grandfather had just passed away. I was only ten years old at the time, but I remember it as clear as day. My dad told us that my grandfather didn’t have an estate plan or life insurance. This left my grandmother alone without a plan. Having a life insurance policy would have helped my grandmother for many years.
It’s a great feeling to know that the people who rely on you are the same people who trust that you’re thinking ahead. Just like our kids know that we will give them a coat on a cold day, a drink when they are thirsty, or dinner at the end of the day… they trust that you are thinking about their needs and goals. It’s important that I know they will be taken care of with life insurance.
For this reason, when my dad came to us a few days later to tell us that he had purchased a life insurance policy with Erie Insurance, I didn’t think anything other than “It’s just dad being a dad.”
It was his way of taking care of the important things, the serious things, and the practical things. It’s his way of showing us, through his example, what it looks like to take care of those you love. It’s his way of showing us that we can be kids, have fun, and make memories because my dad had it all under control. I learned from him that day. I learned that taking care of your family means thinking beyond the day to day… it means thinking of their future.
There will be a day when our own children are asked if they would like their own life insurance and I want them to remember that their parents made this choice, too. I want them to know that it will be up to them to protect their families, financially, as we were protecting ours. They will know that even though we were healthy (and hopefully still are when they make this choice), we always had them in mind.
As an adult, I’m still surprised by the lack of understanding surrounding life insurance policies. In fact, Erie Insurance recently conducted a national survey and they found that many people are confused about life insurance.
They aren’t sure how it works or how much it costs. Many people even assume that it costs much more than it actually does. I found an example from the survey by Erie Insurance to show a pricing example: “With Erie Family Life, a 20-year, $250,000 term policy would cost roughly $200/year for a healthy 30-year-old man and $185 for a healthy 30-year-old woman.“
It’s important to talk with your insurance agent because you can learn about the various coverages, how they work, and what you need. Life insurance can help secure your family’s future. It can help your family stay in their home, help your kids with their college expenses, and simply provide peace of mind to your loved ones.
Remember, our children are always relying on us. They look up to us and learn from us. Make the most of every moment with them, as it passes before our eyes. It’s like the saying goes, “The days pass slowly but the years fly by.”
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