Every day at FamZoo, we search the web for anything related to teaching kids good money habits using keywords like “chores” and “allowance” — among others. Over the summer, our search turned up a very cool story about a wonderfully talented 18 year old singer-songwriter named Sophie London who had just released her self-titled debut album.
Wow, what a voice. What musical ability. I’m always amazed at the talent these teens can possess — maybe because when I was an aspiring teen musician, my guitar instructor told me after just two weeks of agonizing lessons: “Bill, I think you should find another hobby.” Ouch.
But, how’d Sophie end up in our teaching-kids-about-money search results? Here’s the quote that did it:
I wrote my first song — it was called “The Allowance Song,” because I wanted my allowance and my parents would never give it to me.
OK, now that’s a song I just had to hear!
So, I contacted Sophie to see if she had a copy of the original song lying around. No such luck. Undaunted, I commissioned Sophie to revive the song from her early childhood — and toss in a few new twists. See what you think. Here’s The Allowance Song (Revisited). Listen with the player below (or you can download the mp3 here).
Naturally, I think it’s quite epic. So, I’ve christened it as the official FamZoo theme song.
Here are the lyrics:
Yesterday when we were going shopping
I saw something that I wanted to buy
I reached into my bag for money
And all I found was dust bunnies
All because you forgot to pay me
Allowance is something we have agreed on
Every week I am rewarded for my hard work
The lawn is mowed and my bed is made
And I help out in other ways
But I hate when you forget about pay day
I'm not asking for a lot
Just a buck or two
It comes down to this
Here's a suggestion for you
If I pull my weight
Will you pull yours too?
But we can make this easier
And start using FamZoo, FamZoo
I am growing up and I am learning
How to work with money and be responsible
When to spend and when to save
We're dealing with it every day
So don't forget or it's the price your gonna have to pay
I'm not asking for a lot
Just a buck or two
It comes down to this
Here's a suggestion for you
If I pull my weight
Will you pull yours too?
But we can make this easier
And start using FamZoo, FamZoo
I'm not asking for a lot
Just a buck or two
It comes down to this
Here's a suggestion for you
If I pull my weight
Will you pull yours too?
But we can make this easier
And start using FamZoo.
6 comments:
Great song. Fantastic vocals!
Don't forget about that allowance, Mom and Dad. And remember, no matter the age, SAVE FOR COLLEGE. It's closer than it appears in the rear view mirror! :-)
Thanks for stopping by and giving a listen "College Whisperer" (like that name :-)
Yes, I think Sophie's vocals are really terrific.
Enjoyed your latest post (and sense of humor) on college cost calculators over on your site: http://www.thecollegewhisperer.com/
Love the song, but love your site and what you are about even more. Just found you through Jay Sanders blog. Will be looking around some and will spending some time here, since you are addressing a subject that's dear to my heart - Money and Children. Thanks ginasmom (http://ginasmom.com/)
Gina, thank you for the very nice compliment. I just took a tour around your blog and it looks like a great resource for parents looking for smart ways to teach their kids good money habits.
I enjoyed the tooth fairy post - so glad that you didn't leave an iPad! :-)
http://ginasmom.com/2011/10/25/the-tooth-fairy-and-the-ipad/
She's a breath of fresh air, Bill. I love the song, love her voice, and love her artistry on the guitar. Not to mention the theme. I think there are SO MANY families who will benefit from your product. In the competitive world we live in, kids need all the edge we can give them. Learning how to manage one's own personal finances is a skill that I suspect 80% of us don't master during our lifetimes. Learning to do so at an early age is a priceless (pun intended!) gift, and a HUGE edge in life, if there ever was one.
But besides all that, just as a parent in general, succeeding in saving, budgeting, and meeting small goals one step at a time, is an extremely powerful way to give our little people self-confidence while actually learning such a powerful skill. I can't say enough how excited I am about the potential impact on children who are involved with your project from an early age. Its WAY bigger than just the IMPORTANCE of the skill itself.I feel privileged to be associated with such a positive influence.
Rodney, I really appreciate your nice compliments on Sophie and for your supportive comments about the FamZoo mission. I completely agree that starting early seems to have a really positive impact in forming solid life skills.
Post a Comment