A friend recently told me "It seems that you love children's books as much as I love chocolate!" And it is true - my love for children's books is close to an addiction. Every time I walk into a children's bookstore, I can't walk out empty-handed and I certainly can't walk the aisles without peeking at every new cover.

So when I recently picked up a copy of Feeding Penny Pig, I was hooked on the concept and knew that I wanted a copy for my own daughter. Filled with beautiful illustrations and bright, crispy pages, Feeding Penny Pig is the story of a little girl, Laney, who learns about the importance of responsibility and earning money. Laney receives a very special piggy bank as a gift from her grandmother, and she learns that her piggy bank is very hungry for coins. Through taking care of the piggy bank, doing chores and earning money, Laney begins to understand the concept of responsibility at a young age.

The book is ideal for children three years and older who are ready to learn about money, doing chores and earning an allowance.

I contacted the author, Jeannine Fox (or "Mimi" as her grandchildren call her) to inquire about her inspiration for the story.

Annie: What inspired you to write about a book about understanding money and its related responsibilities for young children?

Jeannine: One of the first things I bought for my first grandchild when she was born was a $5 piggy bank. It sat on her dresser for three years hoping people would put coins in it. The book just came to me one day as I was thinking about Laney's fourth birthday coming up. I wrote it in 30 minutes and there has been very little changed. It seems to have taken on a life of its own and I realize now that, even though my life has seemed to push me into finance, my heart has always been to be a mother, and now a grandmother which is so much more fun. I'm hoping to do other books, all focusing on responsibility - it can be fun!

I feel like I'm being given the opportunity to do what I was born to do: Teach kids about being good, responsible citizens. Part of that is learning how to handle money.

Today, the future for our kids doesn't look as bright as it did for my kids.

We can't do a lot about what has happened to the finances of our country, but we can prepare our children to accept responsibility for their own lives and prepare for their futures. The JumpStart Coalition is working on high school students, and even Warren Buffett has indicated that he intends to do some things there. However, while I think that's great and needs to be done, habits which are started when a child is in preschool and elementary school seem to last and be easier to instill. That's what I'm hoping to do.

Annie: What is your best piece of advice for give parents raising young children?

Jeannine: Best piece of advice: This is more as a grandmother - When your grandchildren are around, don't plan anything else. Play with them - puzzles, games, tea parties, etc. As a mother: Forgive yourself for not being perfect, love your kids unconditionally and listen more than you talk (my biggest challenge).

To purchase this fabulous book or Mimi's other educational products, visit her website. In addition to stocking Mimi's book, the site is chock full of adorable piggy banks, educational DVDs, puzzles, books, games, toys and responsibility charts. It also has a very creative sections on fun food recipes to make with kids!

I hope you enjoy Mimi's books and activities as much as we have!

And just to let readers know, this will be my final post for the Tranquil Parent. I recently started a private practice in Denver, CO, and I am busier than I ever imagined, so I will be spending more time with my blossoming practice! I have really enjoyed blogging for the website and interacting with my readers, so thank you so much for your support and interest.

I found myself explaining to my four-year-old daughter Z on Sunday that the reason our grocery store had sample trays that were mostly empty and looked like they had been picked clean was because we are in a recession. Ergo, I started explaining the whole concept of a recession. She was very interested.

If you are used to buying a lot of toys and other gifts around the holidays, dealing with the very real economic downturn can be particularly difficult. We have scaled back a bit ourselves, but the way we live as reviewers insulates us somewhat. We don't buy much at Christmas because Z has new toys on tap year-round, and very few of them stick around for long, so she doesn't get attached to many of them.

This recent CNN interview with a couple of thoughtful bloggers touches on some issues and ends on a positive note.



Are you preparing for a simpler, and perhaps more relaxed holiday? Tell us how!

ZRecs.com photo by tkellyphoto, shared via Flickr.

Confession: I have only just started turning off lights as I leave a room. My wasteful habit required three years of spousal nagging to cure, but cure he did (with a little help from guilt-inducing mass media). So, I was interested to read the spirited discussion at Parent Hacks last week about how to foster energy-saving habits in children. Where had my parents failed?

One mother wrote that she confiscates light bulbs when they’re left on. Gradually, her children’s rooms fade to black. Light bulbs are re-introduced when a parent is caught leaving a room without turning a light off. Another, more draconian parent turns off the fuses in his children’s rooms at the circuit breaker. They must turn the breaker back on themselves, which teaches children (adolescents, in this parent's case) where the breaker box is.

Of course, these suggestions raised cries of being overly hardcore, and potentially dangerous. Other, gentler suggestions followed. Some parents bring their children into the conversation about saving, discussing power bills, opting together to purchase wind energy. Creating charts to help children see how their habits have helped the family reduce their power bill could be also prove useful.

One family installs motion-sensitive switches some rooms, like the bathroom. This wouldn't work in most rooms, however, and the challenges of illumination made me think how turning lights off and on at the switch can be impossible for children, and I started to look for solutions. I can’t train a child to turn off a light if she can’t reach it.

Some lamp switches can be difficult for even adults to use. It’s simple to change a traditional lamp to a pull-chain - a lamp store can sell you a new mount for the bulb for a few dollars or you can order them online.

Kidswitch makes a light switch extender that mounts on wall-switches that are too high for your child to reach. You can order one through Amazon for about $9. Jeremiah and Jenni used one of these for Z in her bedroom for a while, and swear by it.

I’ve never before taken The Clapper seriously as a product, but it might work for a child. The novelty of clapping a light off and on might remind them to clap it off. Alternately, it might remind them to turn the light on and off incessantly.

Once the physics of lamp illumination and cessation are mastered, conservation can begin. At that point, traditional avenues, like docking allowance, might be helpful. And your savings could be applied to your power bill. Let us know if you figure out how to use pinwheels to generate wind energy!