Money Matters

The National Fatherhood Initiative has some good times for teaching your children about money. Let's apply these tips to your pregnant daughter.

What are her money priorities? When she gets money, what is the first thing she spends it on? Now that she is pregnant, what new expenses does she have now that she didn't use to have?

Discourage debt. If your pregnant teen or college student has a credit card in their own name, how have they used that card? Is it maxed out? Have they paid it off each month? Have you been paying it off for them? Together, use a search engine to find online calculators that can show your daughter how long it would take to pay off a credit card, etc. If you are paying your daughter's credit card bills, discuss the rules: what can she buy on it? Under what circumstances would you take the card away from her (or refuse to pay any more bills)?

Help your daughter write out a budget that also includes saving something for the future and giving something to church or a charity. For more budget categories, you may find it helpful to read the chapter titled "Should she parent alone?" in our book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy."