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Say what you will about the so-called redneck lifestyle of the Shannon-Thompson family on TLC’s... more
Say what you will about the so-called redneck lifestyle of the Shannon-Thompson family on TLC’s reality show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, you can’t help but kind of admire the way the family gets by. Mama June Shannon professes to feed her family of seven on $80 a week, thanks to a combination of coupon clipping, Bingo playing, child support cheques from her exes and er, roadkill.
Despite TLC’s apparent motive to shock and appall viewers with an inside look at this overweight, junk food eating, ‘low class’ family from rural Georgia, Mrs. Shannon repeatedly proves that her family is not as dysfunctional as you might initially believe. In fact, not only are the family members loving and supportive of one another, they all seem quite comfortable and happy with their current lifestyle and the parents are proving to be downright fiscally responsible when it comes to planning for their daughters’ futures.
The family is raking in anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 per episode (reports vary). Yet their only major purchase so far has been a 2005 Ford Expedition. More importantly, Mrs. Shannon has made arrangements with TLC that the bulk of the earnings from the show are paid directly into five separate trust funds, one for each daughter. She doesn’t even see the money, apart from an email once a month confirming that the deposits have been made. The girls have no access to the funds until they turn 21. Meanwhile, Papa Thompson, aka Sugar Bear, continues his job as a contractor in order to pay the household bills.
According to TMZ, Mrs. Shannon said, “I want my kids to look back and say, ‘Mama played it smart. Not like those other reality TV people.’
Honey Boo Boo and her sisters are fortunate to have a mother with solid values and her eye on their futures. So how can you play it smart when it comes to saving for your kids?
Saving for School (RESP)
The first step, of course, is making sure your kids get a solid education. In Canada, you can contribute a lifetime maximum of $50,000 per child within a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). The money is tax-sheltered, so you can invest it in stocks, bonds or mutual funds, and any dividends or interest earned within the RESP account will not be taxable as long as it’s held inside the RESP.
If, however, your little darling becomes a star in Hollywood and never quite makes it to university, you can transfer the money you’ve contributed over to an RESP for one of your other kids, or into your own Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).
Free Money (CESG)
The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) will match your RESP contribution dollars by 20% to an annual maximum of $500 per year and a lifetime maximum of $7,200 per child. Some provinces also offer matching grants—so do not pass up the chance for free money! We can assure you, Honey Boo Boo’s mama would not miss this opportunity.
In order to get the matching money, you need to make annual contributions, rather than one lump sum. However the contributions can come from anyone, not just you. Grandparents, godparents or aunts and uncles might like to contribute too. So if you see too many toys stacking up, consider asking for RESP contribution money for Junior’s birthday instead of the latest Wii game.
The TFSA Habit
Once your child turns 18, you can help her open a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) of her very own. This is an excellent vehicle for teaching young adults how to save, how to invest and how to build wealth for their future. Some parents offer to match their kids’ savings as an extra incentive.
Currently, the government allows each person to invest a maximum of $5,500 per year into a TFSA. Within the account, you may save or invest the funds however you wish and the money will grow, tax-free. It can also be withdrawn without penalty, making this the perfect way for your child to save up for a down payment, the purchase of a car, money to travel or any other short- to medium-term goals.
Teaching your child to save up for what they want and need in life, rather than paying for everything with credit, could be one of the most valuable lessons you give them.
Never Gonna Live Above My Means
In celebrity world, it is not unusual for parents and guardians of child stars to go a little cray-cray and end up in legal battles with their own kids over money—think Macaulay Culkin, Gary Coleman, Shirley Temple, Tiffany, LeAnn Rimes and Lindsay Lohan, just to name a few. The long list proves that June Shannon is an anomaly among Hollywood families.
As Mrs. Shannon told TMZ, ‘You’re never gonna see me drive a Range Rover or a Mercedes. I’ll drive one if someone else pays for it. Never gonna live above my means.’ We can all learn a lesson from that attitude. Respect Mrs. Shannon, respect!
When you have a young family, weekends, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are all opportunities for family time. But just as often, they are a time when the kids get special time with Dad. And sometimes dads (and moms) need a little inspiration for how to pass this time in a fun and active way that everyone will enjoy.
Inspired by our interview with Slow Movement advocate Carl Honore, we got to work thinking about ways to carve out special time together without electronics or a big financial outlay. Imagination, creativity and a sense of adventure are all you really need to make a parent-child connection and have a blast.
Here’s a list of ideas to get you started.
- Build a fort together. Either head outside to the backyard and forage for scraps and materials or if the weather isn’t cooperating make the mother of all pillow forts. Create your own story and characters to act out once it’s finished.
- Go for an explorer walk. Load up a backpack with binoculars, notepads, pencils and any other explorer gear you have laying around the house and set off to find some treasures or record nature facts. Bring back what you find and use it to create a nature picture of the whole family (use sticks for bodies, leaves for hair, pebbles for eyes; better yet, use your imaginations and come up with your own unique creations) or make your own nature fact book.
- Be an active artist. Break out the sidewalk chalk and play hopscotch and then beautify your driveway or put your stamp on the sidewalk.
- Have a ball. Grab a soccer ball and head over to the park for some throwing, catching or kicking practice. Let the kids lead the game and make sure that it stays light-hearted and fun.
- Dig it. If you have young children, nothing is more of a sure-fire hit as sand, sand and more sand. Pretend to be paleontologists and go digging for dinosaur bones in your local sandbox.
- Cook together. Choose mom or dad’s favourite recipe and make it together. Dad can either pass along his skills in the kitchen or everyone can learn together.
- Pick wild flowers. Nothing says ‘I was thinking of you’ like a handful of forget-me-nots from a toddler. Make sure to climb up and down some hills for additional exercise while you are at it.
- Create an obstacle course. Let the kids lead this one by helping them pull out items to bike, scooter or run around. Don’t forget to give it a whirl yourself!
- Change the scenery. Pack a picnic and visit somewhere you’ve never been before. A park that isn’t in the usual rotation or a spot by the water. Tuck a jump rope into the picnic basket and work off lunch by practicing your skipping skills.
- Be a tourist. Take the kids on a tour of your own childhood. Visit the house you grew up in, the park you played in and your favourite tree. Recreate some of your favourite active childhood games. If you don’t live in the same place you grew up, then show your kids a meaningful place in the family history. This could be where you and your spouse met or a special place you liked to go when they were babies. Take a picture of the kids in that spot and then frame it for a special gift.
Sara Smeaton is a self-proclaimed non-sporty mom to her 7 year old daughter and 5 year old son. While working in advertising, as an interactive project manager, she avoided all company bowling outings and baseball games. Since having her kids, Sara continues to work as a freelancer and consultant; she is enjoying this new adventure writing for Active for Life.
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