Oh sure, there are those incredibly industrious kids who somehow always find a way to do it all. But I worry that they’re the budding "A" types that end up either with ulcers or heart attacks at an early age or mounting towers with Uzi’s to level the school yard below.

At the same time, our children need to learn the value of earning what one gets, of how to save and budget. If you’re a single parent you usually don’t have a lot of ‘extra’ money for anything necessary like clothing and car repairs let alone an adequate allowance for your children. How many times has Friday rolled around and they’ve come to you with their hand out looking for what you promised they could have only it’s your last $10 and you still need to pay the electric bill or they won’t be able to use their computers? I know it’s happened to me. Many more times than I’d like to think about.