Praise the Provider(s) in Your Home

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In our home, I (Don) have been the sole provider. While Suzanne started as a teacher and then has worked in our kids’ school for a few years, we are fortunate that Suzanne has been able to stay at home and focus on our home and children.  

Suzanne has always done an amazing job of praising me for working hard to provide for our family. I can’t tell you how many times she has woven a compliment my way about how grateful she is – and how the kids should be grateful – for the provision I provide for our home.

Examples:

• Wow! We were able to go out and buy all your school clothes. We just spent a lot of money making sure you can look good at school. Go thank your father for working so hard to make this happen for us.

• That was a great Christmas! Your father works so hard so can make Christmas special for you. I may be the gift buyer but don’t forget none of this would happen without all the hard work your dad does so we can have the money to do this.
• Look at all these groceries! Did you know I just spent $300 at the grocery store? Thank the Lord we have such a great provider in our home so I we can have meals and snacks for you.

You get the idea. And of course, it works both ways if you have a two-income home. You simply praise each other.

Praising the provider is a great way to subtly teach your kids about money and to be grateful for what they have instead of complaining about what they don’t have.  

How do we know it has worked in our family? Because my kids now thank me for my provision as well. So often after we go out to eat as a family – no small expenditure with seven kids – at least one or more of my kids will thank me for paying for dinner. As they entered high school and college and started to spend money on their own, they started to notice more how much things cost which increased their gratefulness for God’s provision through me in their lives.

Teach your kids about money by praising the provider to instill in them gratefulness and the value of money.