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Author: Claudia Backus, MBA

  • What Children Can Learn From Knowing Their Neighbors

    What Children Can Learn From Knowing Their Neighbors

    When I think about the community where my children are growing up, I think about much more than houses, streets, schools, and parks. I think about the people who live around us and the small interactions that slowly make a place feel familiar.

    As adults, it can be easy to move through our days focused on everything we need to accomplish. We leave the house, drive somewhere, come home, pick up packages, take out the trash, and continue with our routines. Our neighbors may live only a few feet away, yet we can go days without having a real conversation with them.

    Children experience neighborhoods differently. They notice the dog that always walks by, the child riding a scooter down the street, the person working in a garden, and the familiar faces they see again and again. Those ordinary encounters give us an opportunity to teach children something important about what it means to be part of a community.

    A Community Is Made of People

    I want my children to understand that a neighborhood is not simply the place where we happen to live. It is a collection of people sharing a small part of the world with one another.

    Knowing our neighbors does not mean we need to know everything about everyone. Privacy and boundaries matter, and those are important lessons for children too. But there is something valuable about recognizing the people around us, saying hello, learning someone’s name, and understanding that the homes nearby belong to real people with their own families, routines, celebrations, and challenges.

    Children who grow up with that awareness may begin to see their surroundings with a little more responsibility. The sidewalk is not only theirs. The park is shared. Noise affects someone else. Litter left behind becomes another person’s problem. The way we behave in common spaces contributes to the experience everyone has there.

    These are simple ideas, but they help children understand that living in a community means considering people beyond our own household.

    Small Interactions Help Children Feel Connected

    Some of the nicest neighborhood moments are incredibly ordinary. A neighbor waves while we are walking. Someone stops for a quick conversation. Children see the same families at a park or community event and gradually begin recognizing them.

    Those interactions create familiarity, and familiarity can create a sense of connection.

    I have come to appreciate that feeling even more as a mother. Children benefit from knowing that their world extends beyond the walls of their home and that there are familiar people around them. It gives them another way to understand belonging.

    That does not mean every neighbor will become a close friend. Most will not. Community does not require that kind of relationship. Sometimes it simply means acknowledging one another and treating the people around us with consideration.

    I think children can understand that very naturally when they see adults practicing it.

    Neighbors Give Us Opportunities to Practice Consideration

    Many of the lessons we try to teach children at home become more meaningful when they can apply them somewhere else.

    If a neighbor is walking behind us, perhaps we hold the door for a few extra seconds. If someone’s ball rolls into our yard, we return it. If we are sharing a common area, we leave it in good condition for the next person. If an older neighbor needs a little help with something simple and it is appropriate for us to help, children can see what that looks like.

    None of these things requires a grand gesture.

    They are simply ways of recognizing that other people exist alongside us and that our actions can make their day easier or harder.

    I want my children to develop that awareness because consideration is something they will need everywhere. They will eventually share classrooms, workplaces, apartment buildings, neighborhoods, and communities with people who may be very different from them.

    Learning to coexist thoughtfully is a life skill.

    Children Can Learn That Communities Change

    One lesson I understand personally is that the places we know can change.

    Our family experienced displacement after the Pacific Palisades fire, and for many months my children had to adjust to a different version of home and routine. Returning also meant seeing a community that had changed.

    Experiences like that make the idea of community feel much less abstract to me.

    Buildings matter, and homes certainly matter, but a community is also carried by its people. It exists in the relationships that continue, the familiar faces that return, the people who help one another, and the effort people make to rebuild a sense of normal life.

    I do not expect young children to understand all of that in the way an adult does. What they can understand is that places sometimes change and people can still help make those places feel connected again.

    That is something I want my children to remember wherever they live someday.

    Being a Good Neighbor Is Another Way to Be of Service

    My motto in life is to be of service to others, and I want my children to understand that service is not limited to organized volunteering or giving money.

    Sometimes being of service is much closer to home.

    It can mean noticing when someone needs a hand, respecting a shared space, welcoming a new family, checking on someone we know, or simply taking a moment to be considerate.

    Children do not need to wait until they are adults to participate in their communities. They can begin by learning that they are part of one.

    As they grow, I hope that understanding becomes broader. Their community may someday be a school, a workplace, a neighborhood, a professional organization, a group of friends, or a place they have not discovered yet. Wherever they find themselves, they will have opportunities to contribute something positive.

    Children greeting a neighbor while learning about community, consideration, belonging, and helping others.
    Simple interactions with neighbors can help children understand that a community is something we share and something we can each help care for.

    Home Extends Beyond Our Front Door

    I want home to be a place where my children feel safe and loved, but I also want them to understand that life does not stop at our front door.

    There are people around us whose lives intersect with ours in small ways every day. Learning their names, acknowledging them, respecting them, and helping when appropriate can teach children that belonging comes with responsibility.

    Perhaps that is one of the simplest ways we begin raising children who care about the communities they will eventually help shape.

    We teach them to notice where they live, appreciate the people around them, and understand that even a small contribution can make a shared place a little better for someone else.

    With gratitude and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why Children Need to Know That Making a Mistake Does Not Mean They Failed

    Why Children Need to Know That Making a Mistake Does Not Mean They Failed

    As a mother of three young children, I get to watch a lot of learning happen in front of me. Sometimes it is exciting and sometimes it comes with plenty of frustration. One of my children may be trying to build something that keeps falling apart, learning something new at school, drawing a picture that does not come out as expected, or trying to do something independently that would be much easier if I simply stepped in and did it.

    Those moments have made me think about the way children begin to understand mistakes. I want my children to care about doing things well and to take responsibility for their choices, but I do not want them to become afraid of getting something wrong. There is an important difference between wanting to do your best and believing you always have to get everything right.

    The older I get, the more I realize how unrealistic that would be anyway. So much of life is learned by doing something, discovering what works and what does not, adjusting, and trying again. I would rather my children begin understanding that while they are young than grow up believing a mistake is evidence that they are not capable of something.

    Learning Is Not Supposed to Look Perfect

    When children are learning a new skill, we usually expect mistakes. Nobody is surprised when a child learning to read mispronounces a word or when a child learning to ride a bicycle loses balance. We understand that practice is part of the process.

    It becomes a little harder when children start comparing themselves with other people. They notice when a classmate finishes something faster or when a sibling can already do something they are struggling to learn. A child can quickly move from “I don’t know how to do this yet” to “I’m not good at this.”

    I want to be careful about that distinction with my own children because the word “yet” leaves room for growth. They may need more practice, another explanation, some help, or simply more time. None of those things means they are incapable.

    I also do not want to praise only the final result. If I pay attention to how they approached something, I can recognize when they were patient, when they tried another way, or when they asked a thoughtful question. Those are useful skills even when the final answer is not correct.

    Knowing When to Help and When to Wait

    One of the challenges for me as a mother is knowing when to step in. It can be very tempting to solve a problem when I can see the answer and my child is becoming frustrated. Sometimes they genuinely need my help, but other times I know they are capable of figuring out at least part of it themselves.

    I am learning to give them a little more room before automatically fixing things. I might ask what they think they could try differently or which part is confusing them. Sometimes they want help and sometimes they surprise me by figuring it out on their own.

    I think there is value in both experiences. Children should know that asking for help is perfectly normal, but they should also have opportunities to discover that they can work through difficulty themselves. I do not want independence to mean that they never need anyone, because none of us lives that way. I want it to mean that they develop confidence in their own abilities while also knowing when another person’s experience or knowledge can help them.

    Parent sitting beside a child working through a challenging activity while allowing the child to solve the problem independently.
    Giving children room to work through a challenge can help them discover that asking for help, trying another approach, and making mistakes are all part of learning.

    A Mistake Can Tell Us Something Useful

    I would like my children to learn to look at a mistake and ask what they can learn from it instead of immediately deciding that they failed.

    Maybe they rushed. Maybe they misunderstood what they were supposed to do. Maybe they need more practice. Maybe their original idea simply did not work as well as they expected. Sometimes the answer may even be that they made a poor choice and need to take responsibility for it.

    Learning from mistakes does not mean pretending every mistake is fine. Accountability matters too. If one of my children hurts someone, ignores a responsibility, or makes a choice they already knew was wrong, I still want them to understand the consequences of that decision. At the same time, I want them to know that taking responsibility gives them an opportunity to do something differently the next time.

    That seems much more useful to me than making a child feel that one bad decision says something permanent about who they are.

    My Children Also See Me Learning

    I certainly cannot teach my children that adults never make mistakes because they live with me and know better.

    There are things I forget, decisions I reconsider, and situations I realize afterward that I could have handled differently. I think there is value in allowing children to see some of that. When appropriate, I can tell them that I was wrong, apologize, or explain that I learned something I did not know before.

    I am also building things in my own life that require me to learn as I go. Backus BrightBots is one example. My first published book, Elon Gives His Money a Purpose, is a children’s book that introduces financial literacy and purposeful choices. The book I am working on next comes from a completely different experience in my life and is being written for mothers going through the NICU.

    I do not know today what every book I will publish in the future will be. I may eventually write educational books for teenagers, explore real estate topics, write for adults, or discover an idea I have not even considered yet. I am comfortable allowing the direction to develop because I am learning while I build it.

    I actually think there is something useful for my children in seeing that. Adults do not always begin something with every answer. We research, ask questions, make decisions, change things that are not working, and continue learning.

    What Matters to Me as They Grow

    As my children get older, the mistakes they make will become more complicated. They will make decisions about friendships, school, money, work, relationships, and eventually the direction of their own lives. I will not be able to make those choices for them, nor should I.

    What I hope I can give them now is the confidence to know that making a mistake does not close the door on what comes next. They can take responsibility, learn something, ask for help when they need it, and make a different choice going forward.

    I also hope they become compassionate toward other people who are learning. When we understand that our own mistakes do not make us less worthy, perhaps it becomes easier to extend that same understanding to someone else. We can correct people without humiliating them, teach what we know without making someone feel small, and use what we have learned through our own experiences to help another person.

    That is where this lesson connects with something I care deeply about. I want my children to grow into people who use what they know to be of service to others. Sometimes the experience that eventually allows us to help someone is something we once struggled to understand ourselves.

    I cannot make every road easy for my children, and I do not think that would prepare them particularly well for life. What I can do is remind them that learning takes time, mistakes are part of that process, and there is almost always something useful we can carry forward from an experience that did not go exactly as planned.

    With gratitude and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why I Want My Children to Notice When Someone Else Needs Help

    Why I Want My Children to Notice When Someone Else Needs Help

    There are many qualities I hope my children develop as they grow. I want them to be responsible, curious, independent, and confident enough to make their own decisions. But there is another quality that matters deeply to me: I want them to notice other people.

    It is easy to tell a child to be kind. It is harder to teach a child to look beyond what is happening in their own little world and recognize that someone else may need help.

    I think that awareness is where being of service begins.

    For me, being of service to others has never meant that we need to do something enormous. Often, it begins with simply paying attention.

    Children Naturally See the World From Their Own Perspective

    Young children are supposed to think about themselves. They are learning what they like, what they want, how they feel, and where they fit into the world. As a mother, I certainly hear plenty about who got what, who went first, whose turn it is, and whether something was fair.

    I do not expect my children to automatically walk into every situation thinking about everyone else’s needs.

    That awareness develops over time, and I believe we can help nurture it.

    Instead of only reminding children to “be nice,” we can help them become more observant. We can ask whether they noticed that a friend was sitting alone, whether someone was struggling to carry something, or how they think another person felt during a difficult moment.

    Those conversations help children practice looking outside themselves.

    Helping Does Not Always Mean Giving Money

    Because my first Backus BrightBots book teaches children about money and includes giving as one of its themes, I think it is especially important to make this distinction.

    Being generous is not only about money.

    A child can be of service by including someone who feels left out. They can help clean up without being asked repeatedly. They can hold a door, share their time, comfort a friend, make something for someone who is having a difficult day, or help a younger child with something they already know how to do.

    As children grow, the opportunities change, but the principle does not.

    We all have something we can contribute.

    Sometimes it is money. Sometimes it is time. Sometimes it is knowledge, effort, patience, or simply our attention.

    I want my children to understand that they do not have to wait until they are adults, have a job, or have a lot of money before they can make someone’s day a little easier.

    Kids helping their sibililing with an everyday task, showing cooperation, empathy, and service to others.
    Children can learn that being of service does not always require money or a big gesture. Sometimes it begins with noticing that another person could use a helping hand.

    I Want Service to Feel Like Part of Life

    I do not want helping others to become something my children associate only with a special volunteer day or a donation made once a year.

    Those things are valuable, but I want the idea of service to feel much more ordinary.

    It can be part of how we live.

    When we notice that someone needs help and we are able to help, we can do something. When we have more than we need, we can consider sharing. When we know how to do something that another person is struggling with, we can offer what we know.

    I also want my children to understand that helping should come with respect. Being of service is not about looking down on someone or assuming we know what another person needs. Sometimes the most respectful thing we can do is ask, listen, and allow someone to tell us what would actually be helpful.

    That is a lesson I continue to learn myself.

    Children Are Watching What We Do

    As parents, we can explain our values all day long, but children also watch how we live them.

    They notice whether we are patient with someone who is having a difficult time. They hear how we speak about people. They see whether we thank someone who helps us. They notice whether generosity is something we talk about or something we actually practice.

    I know I will not model this perfectly every day. There are rushed mornings, frustrating moments, and plenty of times when I am focused on getting three children where they need to go.

    But perhaps children do not need perfection from us. They need enough real examples to understand what matters in our family.

    One of the values I hope they recognize in mine is that we should try to leave people and places a little better when we can.

    Receiving Help Matters Too

    There is another side of service that I think deserves attention: our children also need to learn how to receive help.

    None of us goes through life entirely on our own.

    There will be times when my children are the ones with something to give, and there will be times when they are the ones who need another person’s kindness, knowledge, time, or support.

    I do not want them to believe that needing help makes someone less capable or less valuable. If we teach children that helping is part of being human, then receiving help can be part of being human too.

    That understanding can make service feel less like one person standing above another and more like what I believe it really is: people showing up for one another at different times and in different ways.

    The Kind of Adults I Hope They Become

    When I think about my children’s futures, of course I want them to find work they enjoy, become financially responsible, build healthy relationships, and create lives that feel meaningful to them.

    But success, at least as I see it, cannot only be about what they accomplish for themselves.

    I hope they become adults who still notice.

    I hope they notice the person who has not been included in the conversation. I hope they recognize when their knowledge could help someone else. I hope that if they become successful, they remember that success can create opportunities to give back. Most of all, I hope they understand that being of service does not require recognition.

    Sometimes nobody will know what you did except the person you helped.

    That is enough.

    At Backus BrightBots, the books I publish may explore very different subjects and may eventually speak to children, teenagers, parents, and adults. I do not know exactly where every future book will take me yet, and I actually like that there is room for the company to grow.

    What I do know is that I want the work to have purpose.

    If something I write can teach, encourage, comfort, or help another person in some small way, then it is doing something I care deeply about.

    I want my children to grow up knowing the same thing about their own lives. Whatever talents, careers, resources, or opportunities they eventually have, there will always be a way to use some of what they have learned and some of who they are to be of service to someone else.

    And I hope they begin by simply learning to notice.

    With gratitude and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why Children Need to Learn That Wanting Something Does Not Mean Needing It

    Why Children Need to Learn That Wanting Something Does Not Mean Needing It

    One of the most common conversations in my house begins with two very familiar words:

    “I need it.”

    Sometimes the thing my child absolutely “needs” is a toy. Sometimes it is something spotted at a store. Sometimes it is something another child has.

    And, of course, sometimes it really is something they need.

    As adults, the difference between a need and a want may seem obvious. For children, that distinction takes time to understand.

    I think it is worth teaching.

    Not because I want my children to stop wanting things. Wanting something can be fun. It can give us something to save for, work toward, or look forward to.

    I simply want them to understand that wanting something very much does not automatically turn it into a need.

    That little distinction can become the beginning of much bigger lessons about money, patience, gratitude, priorities, and making thoughtful choices.

    Needs Come First

    Children can begin learning about needs through things they already see every day.

    We need food.

    We need a safe place to live.

    We need clothing.

    We need water.

    We need care.

    There are also needs that can change depending on the person or situation. A child may need medicine. A family may need transportation to get to work or school. Something that is optional for one person may be necessary for another.

    That is why I do not think teaching needs and wants should become a rigid game of putting everything into two perfect categories.

    The bigger lesson is about priorities.

    Some things have to come before other things.

    That is true for families, businesses, communities, and eventually for the budgets our children will manage themselves.

    Wants Are Not Bad

    I think this part of the conversation is especially important.

    A want is not something bad.

    We can want a new toy, a special dessert, a vacation, a beautiful pair of shoes, a bigger home, or something simply because it makes us happy.

    Adults have wants too.

    The goal is not to teach children that wanting things is selfish or irresponsible. The goal is to help them recognize what kind of choice they are making.

    When children can say, “I want this,” instead of automatically saying, “I need this,” they are already becoming more aware of their own decisions.

    That awareness matters.

    A Pause Can Be a Powerful Money Lesson

    Children often experience wants in the moment.

    They see something and want it now.

    I understand that feeling. Adults are certainly not immune to it.

    One simple habit we can teach children is to pause.

    Instead of immediately saying yes or no, we can sometimes ask:

    “Is this something you need or something you want?”

    That question does not have to become a test.

    It can simply begin a conversation.

    If it is a want, we might talk about whether they still want it tomorrow. We might add it to a birthday list. We might discuss saving for it. We might compare it with something else they have been wanting.

    Sometimes the answer will still be yes.

    The important part is that there was a moment to think before making the decision.

    Learning to wait before buying something is a skill children can carry into adulthood.

    Children Can Learn About Tradeoffs

    As children get older, understanding needs and wants can lead naturally into another important idea: choosing one thing can mean giving up another.

    Money is limited.

    If we spend it in one place, we cannot spend that same money somewhere else.

    Children can begin experiencing this on a very small scale.

    Imagine a child has saved ten dollars and wants two different things but cannot afford both.

    We do not necessarily need to solve the problem for them.

    We can ask:

    “Which one matters more to you?”

    “Would you rather buy something now or keep saving?”

    “What do you think you will be happiest you chose tomorrow?”

    Those little decisions give children practice with something adults do constantly.

    We prioritize.

    Child considering how to use saved money while learning about needs, wants, patience, and financial choices.
    Learning to pause before choosing gives children time to think about what they want, what they need, and what matters most to them.

    Gratitude Changes the Conversation

    Talking about wants also gives families an opportunity to talk about what we already have.

    When my children want something new, I do not expect them to suddenly stop wanting it because I remind them to be grateful.

    But I do want gratitude to be part of their lives.

    We can want something new and still appreciate what we already have.

    Those two feelings can exist together.

    I think that is a healthier lesson than making children feel guilty for wanting something.

    Gratitude is not about pretending we never want more.

    It is about noticing that we already have something too.

    The Lesson Is Bigger Than Money

    Needs and wants are often introduced as a financial literacy lesson, but I think the idea reaches much further.

    It teaches children to think about priorities.

    It teaches patience.

    It teaches them that feelings can be strong without controlling every decision.

    It teaches them that resources have limits.

    And eventually, it can help them understand that having enough for our own needs may also give us opportunities to think about the needs of other people.

    These are not lessons children master after one conversation.

    They learn them little by little.

    At the grocery store.

    While looking at something online.

    When birthday lists are being made.

    When allowance or saved money is being spent.

    When a child says, once again, “But I really need it.”

    That may be the perfect moment to smile and ask:

    “Do you need it, or do you really, really want it?”

    Sometimes one small question is enough to begin a lesson that will matter for years.

    With gratitude and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why Children Should Learn the Difference Between Earning and Receiving

    Why Children Should Learn the Difference Between Earning and Receiving

    Children receive a lot from us simply because we love them.

    We give them birthday presents. We buy their clothes and food. Grandparents may arrive with a surprise. A friend may give them a gift. Sometimes we buy them something just because we saw it and thought it would make them happy.

    There is nothing wrong with receiving.

    In fact, learning how to receive something with gratitude is an important life lesson of its own.

    But I also want my children to understand that receiving something and earning something are not the same.

    That distinction may seem simple to an adult, but I think it can teach children something important about work, gratitude, responsibility, and the value behind the things we have.

    Receiving Is Part of Life

    When someone gives my children a gift, I do not want their first thought to be, “What did I do to earn this?”

    A gift is a gift.

    It may come from love, generosity, celebration, or simply because someone wanted to do something kind for them.

    What I do want them to understand is that receiving something is not automatic.

    Someone chose to give it.

    Someone spent money, time, or thought on it.

    That gives us an opportunity to teach gratitude.

    A sincere thank you matters. Taking care of what we receive matters. Recognizing another person’s generosity matters.

    Children do not have to earn every good thing that comes into their lives, but they can learn to appreciate it.

    Earning Teaches a Different Lesson

    Earning introduces another idea.

    There is a connection between effort and outcome.

    A child might complete an age appropriate job and earn a small amount of money. An older child might eventually babysit, help a neighbor, start a small business, or have a first job.

    The specific activity will change as children grow, but the lesson can begin early.

    When we earn something, we exchange our time, effort, skill, creativity, or work for value.

    That understanding is important because money can otherwise feel almost invisible to children.

    They see us tap a card at the grocery store. A package appears at the front door. We order something online and a few days later it arrives.

    From a child’s perspective, it can sometimes look as though things simply appear.

    Learning about earning helps connect the dots.

    Before Money Is Spent, Someone Usually Had to Earn It

    This is one of the ideas I especially want my children to understand.

    When we spend money, there is a story behind that money.

    Someone worked for it.

    That does not mean I want children worrying about every dollar a family spends. I do not believe children need to carry adult financial concerns.

    But there is a healthy middle ground between worrying about money and believing money simply appears whenever we want something.

    Children can understand that the groceries in the refrigerator, the shoes on their feet, the family outing, and the toy they want all have value.

    That awareness can gradually help them become more thoughtful about what they ask for and what they choose for themselves.

    Not Every Household Responsibility Needs a Payment

    There is another distinction I think is important.

    I do not want my children to believe they should be paid every time they contribute at home.

    Some things we do because we are part of a family.

    We put something away because we used it. We help clean up because we live there. We carry our plate to the kitchen because we are capable of doing it. We help one another because families work together.

    Those responsibilities are different from an opportunity specifically created to earn money.

    I think children can learn both ideas at the same time.

    Sometimes we contribute because it is our responsibility.

    Sometimes we work to earn something.

    Sometimes we receive because another person chooses to give.

    Understanding those differences can help children develop a healthier relationship with both work and money.

    Earning Can Change the Way a Child Makes a Choice

    There is something interesting that can happen when children have earned money themselves.

    The question changes from “Can you buy this for me?” to “Do I want to spend my money on this?”

    Suddenly, the decision can feel different.

    Something that seemed absolutely necessary five minutes earlier may not feel quite as necessary when the money is coming from their own savings.

    That moment can teach more than a long explanation ever could.

    They begin thinking about tradeoffs.

    If I buy this, what will I have left?

    Do I want this enough?

    Would I rather save for something else?

    Those are small childhood decisions, but the thinking behind them is something they will use throughout their lives.

    Child counting a small amount of earned money at a table after completing an age appropriate task.
    Small opportunities to earn can help children connect effort with value while learning to make thoughtful choices with what they have.

    The Goal Is Not to Make Everything About Money

    Teaching children about earning does not mean turning every act of helpfulness into a transaction.

    I want my children to know that some of the most meaningful things we do in life will never come with a paycheck.

    We help someone because they need us.

    We give because we can.

    We volunteer because our time can be useful.

    We work hard at something because it matters to us.

    Money is one way that work can be rewarded, but it is not the only reason to work and it is certainly not the only measure of value.

    That is part of the bigger conversation I hope to have with my children as they grow.

    Preparing Children for the Real World One Small Lesson at a Time

    Children have many years before they need to support themselves, build careers, run businesses, or make major financial decisions.

    We do not need to rush them there.

    But we can give them little pieces of understanding along the way.

    We can let them experience the joy of receiving.

    We can teach them to say thank you.

    We can give them opportunities to earn.

    We can expect them to contribute simply because they are part of a family.

    And we can talk openly about the work and thought that often exist behind the things we buy.

    These are ordinary conversations, but together they can help children understand something they will need for the rest of their lives.

    There is a difference between receiving something and earning it.

    Both can be valuable.

    And knowing the difference can help children grow into adults who appreciate what they are given, understand the value of their own work, and recognize that what they have can also be used to be of service to others.

    With gratitude and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • How Storytelling Helps Children Learn Life Lessons They’ll Never Forget

    How Storytelling Helps Children Learn Life Lessons They’ll Never Forget

    How Storytelling Helps Children Learn Life Lessons They’ll Never Forget

    Some of the most important conversations I have with my children happen while we are reading together.

    Sometimes I choose the book. Sometimes they do. Sometimes we stop halfway through a page because one of them has a question that takes us somewhere completely different.

    I love those moments.

    As a mother, I have realized that children do not always need a long explanation to understand something important. Sometimes they need a story.

    A story gives them a character to care about, a decision to think about, and a situation they can imagine themselves in. It gives us a natural way to talk about money, kindness, work, mistakes, generosity, responsibility, and so many other parts of life without making the conversation feel like a lesson.

    That is one of the reasons storytelling matters so much to me, both as a mother and as the founder of Backus BrightBots.

    Stories Make Big Ideas Easier to Understand

    Think about how many things we expect children to learn as they grow.

    We want them to make good choices. We want them to understand the value of work. We want them to be kind. We want them to learn how to handle money responsibly. We want them to solve problems, recover from mistakes, care about other people, and eventually become independent adults.

    Those are big ideas.

    For a child, however, a big idea becomes much easier to understand when it happens to someone in a story.

    Instead of simply telling a child that saving is important, we can read about a character who wants something and has to decide whether to spend money today or save it for later.

    Instead of only saying, “Be kind,” we can read about someone who notices another person needs help and decides what to do.

    The story gives the lesson a place to live.

    Children Can Practice Making Choices Through Stories

    One thing I enjoy doing while reading with my children is asking questions.

    What do you think is going to happen?

    What would you do?

    Do you think that was a good choice?

    How do you think that person feels?

    There does not always have to be one perfect answer. In fact, some of the best conversations happen when children see things differently.

    When we ask children what they think, we give them an opportunity to practice judgment in a safe place. They can consider consequences and hear another point of view without having to experience the situation themselves.

    That is a powerful part of reading that can easily be overlooked.

    We are not only helping children learn words. We are helping them learn how to think.

    Parent and children reading together and talking about a story at home.
    A shared story can become the beginning of a meaningful conversation about choices, feelings, and everyday life.

    Stories Create Conversations That Continue After the Book Is Closed

    A good story does not necessarily end when we turn the last page.

    Sometimes something from a book comes back days later.

    A child may recognize a similar situation at school, at home, at a store, or while playing with friends. Suddenly, the conversation we had while reading becomes relevant to real life.

    Those connections matter because children learn through repetition and experience.

    We can help by bringing stories back into everyday conversations.

    “Remember what happened in that book?”

    “What did the character decide to do?”

    “What could we do here?”

    There is no lecture involved. We are simply connecting something familiar to something happening now.

    That is one of the reasons books can be such useful tools for families.

    The Lessons Do Not Have to Be Complicated

    I believe we sometimes make teaching children life skills harder than it needs to be.

    We do not need a perfect curriculum for every conversation.

    We can start with a story.

    Then we can ask a question.

    Then we can listen.

    Children often tell us much more about what they understand when we give them room to talk.

    They may notice something in a story that we did not notice. They may ask a question we were not expecting. They may even disagree with us.

    That is okay.

    The goal is not to make children memorize our answers. It is to help them become thoughtful enough to eventually form good answers of their own.

    Why Storytelling Is Part of Backus BrightBots

    When I began Backus BrightBots, I knew I wanted education to feel connected to real life.

    My first published book, Elon Gives His Money a Purpose, uses a story to introduce children ages 7 to 11 to ideas about needs, wants, saving, spending, giving, and helping others.

    Those are financial literacy concepts, but to me the bigger lesson is about choices.

    What do we do with what we have?

    How do we decide what matters?

    How can something as ordinary as money become a tool for responsibility, planning, generosity, and service?

    These are conversations I want to have with my own children, and they are conversations I hope families can have together.

    Backus BrightBots may grow into many kinds of books and resources over time. The subjects may change. The readers may grow older. But I hope the purpose remains the same: creating thoughtful educational content that helps people learn something useful for real life.

    Keep Reading, Talking, and Asking Questions

    Reading with children does not have to be complicated.

    Choose a story. Sit together. Read it.

    And every once in a while, stop and ask, “What do you think?”

    Then listen.

    That simple question can turn a few minutes of reading into a conversation about values, decisions, feelings, responsibility, or life.

    The book may eventually return to the shelf.

    The conversation can stay with them much longer.

    With gratitude and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why Children Should Learn That Not Every Problem Has One Right Answer

    Why Children Should Learn That Not Every Problem Has One Right Answer

    As a mother, I sometimes notice how naturally children look for the “right” answer.

    Which piece goes here? What color should I use? Who won? Did I do this correctly?

    There are many times when there really is a correct answer. Two plus two is four. A red light means stop. Some rules exist for good reasons, and learning them is an important part of growing up.

    But life is also full of decisions where there is no single perfect answer.

    I think helping children understand that difference is an important life lesson.

    Learning to Think, Not Just Answer

    Children spend a lot of time learning information, and of course that matters. But I also want my children to learn how to think about a situation when the answer is not obvious.

    Imagine two children have one toy they both want to use.

    What is the right solution?

    They could take turns. They could play with it together. One child could use it now and the other later. They might even decide to put it away and choose something completely different.

    There may be several reasonable solutions.

    The important part is learning to stop, think, listen, and consider the consequences of each choice.

    Choices Usually Come With Tradeoffs

    This is something children can begin understanding surprisingly early.

    If we spend our afternoon at the park, we may not have time to do something else. If we use all of our money for one thing we want today, we cannot use that same money for something tomorrow. If we stay up later, we may feel more tired in the morning.

    Every choice gives us something, but it may also require us to give something else up.

    Adults deal with these tradeoffs constantly. We make them with money, work, homes, relationships, time, and family responsibilities.

    Children are already making smaller versions of these decisions every day.

    Mother and two children discussing options and making a decision together.
    Looking at options together helps children understand that there can be more than one good choice.

    Asking Better Questions

    Instead of immediately giving children an answer, sometimes we can give them a question.

    What do you think would happen if you chose that?

    What are your other options?

    How would that choice affect someone else?

    What matters most to you right now?

    What could you do differently next time?

    I like these questions because they do not tell a child what to think. They invite a child to think.

    That distinction matters to me.

    Mistakes Can Give Us Information

    Children will sometimes make choices that do not work out the way they expected.

    So will adults.

    If every imperfect decision is treated like a failure, children may become afraid to make decisions at all. But if we help them look at what happened, a mistake can become information.

    What happened?

    Why do you think that happened?

    What did you learn?

    What might you try next time?

    The goal is not to pretend that choices never have consequences. Children need appropriate boundaries and accountability. But consequences and learning can exist together.

    Sometimes experience teaches a lesson far more effectively than a long explanation ever could.

    Other People May Choose Differently

    Another part of decision making is understanding that two thoughtful people can look at the same situation and make different choices.

    One family may save for a vacation while another saves for something they need at home. One child may enjoy spending free time drawing while another wants to build, read, play outside, or practice a sport.

    Different does not automatically mean wrong.

    Of course, there are important questions of honesty, safety, kindness, and responsibility where children need clear guidance. But within those boundaries, I want my children to understand that people can have different priorities.

    Learning to respect those differences is part of learning to live in a community.

    Confidence Grows Through Practice

    We cannot expect children to become thoughtful decision makers if they never have opportunities to make decisions.

    The choices can start small.

    Which book would you like to read tonight?

    Would you rather use your money now or continue saving it?

    How do you think we should divide this fairly?

    What should we do first?

    Giving children appropriate choices does not mean allowing them to make every decision. Adults are still responsible for providing boundaries, safety, and guidance.

    But within those boundaries, children can practice.

    And just like reading, building, drawing, or riding a bicycle, decision making becomes easier with practice.

    There Will Not Always Be a Perfect Choice

    I think this may be one of the most useful lessons we can give children before adulthood.

    Sometimes we gather information, consider our options, think about the people affected, and make the best decision we can with what we know at that moment.

    Later, we may discover that another choice would have worked better.

    That does not mean the thinking was wasted.

    We learn. We adjust. We try again.

    My hope is not that my children will grow up knowing the answer to every problem. None of us does.

    My hope is that they will grow up comfortable asking questions, considering different possibilities, learning from mistakes, and making thoughtful choices even when nobody can hand them the answer.

    Because knowing things is important, but learning how to think is something they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

    With love and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why Small Acts of Kindness Matter: Teaching Children What It Means to Be of Service

    Why Small Acts of Kindness Matter: Teaching Children What It Means to Be of Service

    One of the ideas I want my children to grow up understanding is something that has become increasingly important to me in my own life: to be of service to others.

    Those words can sound like they require something big. We might think about volunteering for an organization, donating money, organizing a project, or helping during an emergency.

    All of those things can certainly be service.

    But I do not think service has to begin with something big.

    For children especially, I think it can begin with something much simpler. Notice another person. Pay attention. Help when you can. Share what you have. Include someone. Say thank you. Do something kind even when nobody is giving you a reward for doing it.

    Those small moments may be some of the earliest ways children begin to understand that they are part of a world that includes people beyond themselves.

    Kindness Is Something Children Can Practice

    It is easy to tell children to be kind.

    I have certainly said it myself.

    “Be nice.”

    “Share with your brother.”

    “Help your sister.”

    “Say thank you.”

    But I have started thinking that kindness becomes much more meaningful when children have opportunities to actually practice it.

    A child can help carry something.

    They can make room for someone else.

    They can help clean up a mess they did not make.

    They can draw a picture for someone who might need cheering up.

    They can notice when another child is standing alone and invite that child to play.

    None of these actions requires money, and none of them needs to become a major event.

    They simply teach children to look beyond themselves.

    Service Is Not Only About Giving Money

    Because I care deeply about teaching children financial literacy, I think generosity and money are important topics. Eventually, children can learn that one choice we have with money is to give some of it away.

    But I do not want my children to grow up believing that generosity belongs only to people who have money to donate.

    We can give time.

    We can give attention.

    We can give effort.

    We can share a skill.

    We can listen.

    We can help.

    Sometimes what another person needs most has nothing to do with money.

    I think this distinction is especially important for children because every child has the ability to contribute something.

    A child does not need to wait until adulthood to matter to a community.

    Children Learn From What They See

    Like so many things in parenting, I suspect children learn much more from what we do than from what we tell them.

    They notice how we speak to people.

    They notice whether we say thank you.

    They notice how we treat someone who is helping us.

    They notice whether we are patient when something goes wrong.

    They notice whether we stop to help someone when helping is inconvenient.

    I am certainly not perfect at any of this. Motherhood gives me plenty of opportunities to realize that the example I want to set and the way I behave on a difficult day are not always exactly the same.

    But perhaps that is part of the lesson too.

    Being kind does not require perfection.

    It requires practice.

    And adults need that practice just as much as children do.

    Helping Without Expecting Something Back

    Children naturally understand rewards.

    Finish something and receive a sticker. Do a job and perhaps earn some money. Behave well and get a privilege.

    Rewards can be useful, but I also want my children to experience the feeling of doing something good when there is nothing waiting for them at the end.

    Not every kind act needs a prize.

    Sometimes the reward is simply knowing that we made something a little easier for another person.

    That can be difficult to explain in words to a young child, but it becomes easier to understand through experience.

    Help someone carry something.

    Pick something up because it needs to be picked up.

    Hold a door.

    Make a card for someone.

    Give away something useful that we no longer need.

    Do something thoughtful without asking, “What do I get?”

    These are small experiences, but they introduce a very big idea.

    Service Can Begin at Home

    Sometimes we imagine service as something that happens somewhere else.

    I think it can begin in the place where children spend most of their time.

    Home.

    Helping a sibling is service.

    Helping put something away is service.

    Noticing that someone needs help and offering it before being asked is service.

    Learning to contribute to family life helps children understand that a family is not simply a group of people who do things for them. It is a group of people who also do things for one another.

    That does not mean turning childhood into a list of chores.

    It means allowing children to experience what it feels like to contribute.

    There is pride in being useful.

    I see it when a young child insists on carrying something, helping prepare food, putting something where it belongs, or completing a task that would have been much faster for an adult to do alone.

    Sometimes allowing children to help takes more patience than simply doing it ourselves.

    But the lesson may be worth the extra time.

    Our Communities Give Us Opportunities to Help

    As children grow, their world gets bigger.

    Home becomes school. School becomes a neighborhood. Eventually they begin to understand that they are part of a community filled with people they may never personally know.

    There are countless ways communities care for one another.

    People volunteer.

    Neighbors check on neighbors.

    Families donate things they no longer need.

    Someone brings food to a person going through a difficult time.

    People help rebuild, clean, organize, teach, coach, comfort, and show up.

    Children can see that communities become stronger when people are willing to contribute.

    I think that is an important lesson because it changes the question from “What can I get from my community?” to “How can I be part of my community?”

    Both questions matter.

    But I hope my children learn to ask the second one too.

    Service can begin with something as simple as noticing when another person could use a little help.

    Kindness Does Not Need an Audience

    There is another part of service that I hope my children eventually understand.

    We do not have to tell everyone when we do something kind, but that does not mean kindness always needs to be private. I know that seeing other people help, give, and serve has inspired me to do the same, and sometimes sharing an act of kindness can encourage someone else to think, “Maybe I can do something too.”

    There can be wonderful reasons to share acts of service. A story can inspire someone else to help. It can bring attention to an important need or encourage a community to participate.

    But there should also be room for kindness that nobody sees.

    Help because someone needs help.

    Give because you want to give.

    Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

    I think there is something beautiful about teaching children that not every good action needs recognition.

    The Kind of People I Hope My Children Become

    Like every parent, I have hopes for my children.

    I hope they become independent. I hope they are curious. I hope they learn how to make thoughtful decisions and manage money responsibly. I hope they find work that gives them purpose and build lives that make them happy.

    But I also hope they notice people.

    I hope they understand that success is not only about what they accomplish or accumulate.

    I hope they know that whatever skills, resources, time, or opportunities they eventually have can also be used to make life a little better for someone else.

    We do not have to wait until we have a lot to begin giving.

    We do not have to wait until we are adults to begin helping.

    And we do not have to change the entire world for an act of service to matter.

    Sometimes it begins with one person noticing another person and deciding to help.

    That is a lesson I hope my children carry with them wherever life takes them.

    With love and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • What Makes a House Feel Like Home? Lessons Children Learn From Where They Live

    What Makes a House Feel Like Home? Lessons Children Learn From Where They Live

    I work in real estate, so houses are naturally interesting to me. We talk about bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, neighborhoods, prices, and all the practical things that help describe a property.

    But being a mother has made me think about houses from a very different perspective.

    Children do not walk into a home and think about square footage. They notice where their toys go. They know which chair they like to sit in, where they leave their shoes, what they can see from their bedroom window, and where everyone gathers at the end of the day.

    To a child, the meaning of home can be wonderfully simple.

    That has made me think about an important question: What actually makes a house feel like home?

    A House and a Home Are Not Exactly the Same Thing

    A house is a physical place. It has walls, rooms, doors, windows, and a roof.

    A home is something we experience.

    It is where ordinary life happens. It is where we eat breakfast when everyone is still waking up. It is where backpacks get dropped, toys somehow travel from one room to another, and bedtime stories are read at the end of a long day.

    Of course, a home does not have to be a house at all.

    It can be an apartment, a condominium, a rented room, or another place where a family lives. Families can own the place they live or rent it. They can live somewhere for decades or for a relatively short period of time.

    Children do not need to understand all of those differences immediately. But I think there is value in helping them understand that a home is both a place and something we create within that place.

    Children Experience Their Neighborhood Too

    Home does not necessarily end at the front door.

    Children notice their neighborhoods.

    They recognize the route to school. They know the park where they like to play. They notice the same trees, streets, stores, neighbors, dogs, playgrounds, and familiar places they pass again and again.

    These surroundings slowly become part of their understanding of where they live.

    That is one reason I think communities matter so much.

    A community is made up of people and places that are connected in ways children may not immediately see. Teachers, firefighters, librarians, construction workers, business owners, neighbors, volunteers, and many others contribute to the places we call home.

    When we help children notice those connections, the idea of home begins to grow beyond a building.

    Homes Teach Children About Responsibility

    A home also gives children some of their earliest opportunities to understand responsibility.

    Someone has to take care of the things we use.

    Beds need to be made. Dishes need to be washed. Toys need to be put away. Plants may need water. Something that breaks may need to be repaired.

    Young children obviously should not carry adult responsibilities, but they can begin to understand that taking care of a home is something people do together.

    Even very small responsibilities can teach a larger idea.

    We take care of the things that matter to us.

    That lesson can eventually extend far beyond the home. We can take care of our classroom, our neighborhood, our community, and the people around us too.

    A Home Does Not Have to Be Perfect to Be Meaningful

    It is easy to see beautiful homes online and begin thinking about what a home should look like.

    Real family homes are rarely perfect.

    There may be toys on the floor, laundry waiting to be folded, dishes in the sink, artwork taped somewhere it was probably never intended to go, and evidence everywhere that people actually live there.

    I have three young children. I know this very well.

    But children are not measuring the perfection of a room.

    They are living their lives inside it.

    Years from now, they may not remember whether everything matched or whether the house was perfectly organized. They may remember sitting together for dinner, building something on the floor, celebrating birthdays, reading books at night, or laughing about something that seemed very important at the time.

    Those ordinary experiences are part of what turns a place into home.

    Homes Can Change

    Children also learn that homes are not always permanent.

    Families move for many reasons. They may need more space, less space, a different location, a new job, a different school, or a change in circumstances. Some families rent. Some own. Some move frequently. Others stay in one place for many years.

    Sometimes a move is exciting. Sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes it is both.

    I think we can help children understand that a change in where we live does not erase everything that made the previous place meaningful.

    The memories come with us.

    So do family traditions, favorite books, bedtime routines, photographs, familiar objects, and the people who made that place feel like home.

    A new space can slowly become familiar too.

    Teaching Children About Homes Without Making It About Money

    There will eventually be opportunities to explain mortgages, rent, property taxes, insurance, and the financial responsibilities involved in housing.

    Those are important topics, and I look forward to exploring them in age appropriate ways.

    But before children understand the economics of housing, they can understand something more fundamental.

    Homes require care.

    Neighbors affect one another.

    Communities work because people contribute.

    Different families live in different kinds of homes.

    And the size or price of someone’s home does not determine the value of the people who live there.

    That last lesson matters to me.

    Children will eventually notice differences in the world around them. Some homes are larger. Some are smaller. Some families have more resources than others.

    I want my children to be curious about the world without learning to measure people by what they own.

    Helping Children Feel Part of a Community

    One of the things I hope to teach my children is that living somewhere also means being part of something.

    We can greet a neighbor.

    We can take care of a shared space.

    We can support a local business.

    We can appreciate the people who keep our streets, schools, parks, and neighborhoods functioning.

    We can help when someone in our community needs help.

    These actions may seem small, but they teach children that community is not simply something we receive. It is also something we participate in.

    That idea connects closely with something I hope Backus BrightBots continues to explore: being of service to others.

    Service does not always require a large project. Sometimes it begins by noticing the people around us and asking how we can contribute.

    Children can begin to understand community by seeing that the places we share are something we can help care for together.

    The Meaning of Home

    The older I get, and especially the longer I am a mother, the more I realize how much learning happens in ordinary places.

    Home may be one of the first.

    It is where children begin learning about responsibility, relationships, sharing, belonging, taking care of things, and living alongside other people.

    A house can provide the physical space for those experiences, but the lessons happening inside it are much bigger than the building itself.

    Maybe that is what makes a house feel like home.

    It is not simply where we live.

    It is one of the first places where we learn how to live with others.

    With love and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots

  • Why Children Need to Understand What Work Really Means

    Why Children Need to Understand What Work Really Means

    Why Children Need to Understand What Work Really Means

    My children know that Mommy works. They see me getting ready in the morning, using my computer, answering emails, talking on the phone, and taking care of responsibilities that are part of adult life.

    But knowing that a parent goes to work is very different from understanding why people work.

    When children are young, money can seem almost invisible. They see us buy groceries, order something online, pay at a restaurant, or use a card at a store. They see the result, but they do not necessarily see all the work that happened before the purchase.

    That has made me think about something I want my own children to understand as they grow: work is about earning money, but it is also about creating value, solving problems, learning skills, helping people, and contributing in some way.

    I think that is a much more interesting conversation to have with children than simply telling them that grown ups have to work.

    What Does It Mean to Work?

    When we explain work to children, it is easy to begin with money.

    People work. People earn money. That money helps pay for food, housing, clothing, transportation, and many of the other things we need and enjoy.

    That connection is important, especially because children can easily see spending without seeing earning.

    But I do not want the lesson to end there.

    Work also means that someone is doing something another person, business, or community finds useful.

    A teacher helps children learn. A doctor takes care of patients. A builder creates and repairs things. A restaurant worker prepares or serves food. An artist creates something other people may enjoy. Someone who starts a business identifies a need or an idea and tries to create something people find valuable.

    The jobs may look completely different, but there is a connection between them. Someone is contributing something.

    That is an idea even a young child can begin to understand.

    Children Already Understand More About Work Than We Think

    Children work at things all the time, even though we do not usually call it work.

    They build something and discover that the first version falls apart. They practice writing their name until it becomes easier. They learn to ride a bicycle. They work on a puzzle, draw a picture, clean up a mess, help prepare something, or spend a long time trying to figure out how two pieces fit together.

    I see this with my own children. When they are interested in building or creating something, they can stay focused much longer than I might expect. They try something, discover it does not work, change it, and try again.

    There is learning happening in those moments that goes beyond the finished creation.

    They are discovering effort.

    They are also discovering that sometimes the result we want does not happen immediately.

    That lesson will matter later in school, in work, in relationships, and in many other parts of life.

    Work and Money Are Connected, But They Are Not the Same Thing

    I want my children to understand the connection between work and money, but I also want them to understand that a person’s value is not determined by how much money that person earns.

    Those are very different ideas.

    Some work is highly paid. Some is not. Some incredibly valuable work is unpaid altogether.

    Parents care for children. People volunteer in their communities. Family members help one another. Someone may spend an afternoon helping a neighbor without expecting anything in return.

    There is value in work that never appears on a paycheck.

    I think children can understand both ideas at the same time. We work to earn money, and work can also be a way of helping, creating, contributing, and being of service to others.

    What About Entrepreneurship?

    Entrepreneurship can sound like a very grown up word, but the basic idea can be surprisingly simple.

    Someone notices a problem, has an idea, creates something, or finds a way to help another person. Then that person tries to turn the idea into something useful.

    Children do versions of this naturally.

    They invent things. They build things. They ask why something works the way it does. They come up with solutions adults would never have considered. They can be wonderfully unconcerned with whether an idea sounds realistic before they try it.

    I do not think every child needs to become an entrepreneur. That is not the lesson.

    The lesson is that ideas have value, problems can have solutions, skills can be developed, and people can create opportunities rather than simply wait for them to appear.

    Whether a child eventually becomes an entrepreneur, an employee, an artist, a teacher, a scientist, a parent, or something none of us can predict today, that way of thinking can still be useful.

    Effort Does Not Always Produce an Immediate Reward

    This may be one of the harder lessons to teach because it is also one adults continue learning (me too!).

    We can work hard and still make mistakes. We can spend time creating something that does not succeed. We can practice and still not be the best. We can have a good idea that needs to be changed.

    Children encounter this very early.

    A tower falls down. A drawing does not look the way they imagined. A puzzle piece will not fit. Someone else runs faster. Something they worked hard on does not turn out perfectly.

    My instinct as a mother is sometimes to make frustration disappear as quickly as possible. But I am learning that I do not always need to.

    There is something valuable in giving children the opportunity to try again.

    Work is not only about the reward at the end. Sometimes the important part is what we learn while trying to get there.

    Letting Children See the Work Behind Everyday Life

    One of the simplest things we can do is talk about work when it naturally appears in everyday life.

    When a package arrives, we can talk about all the people involved in getting it to our door.

    When we eat at a restaurant, we can notice the people who prepared the food, cleaned the tables, served customers, and kept everything running.

    When we walk past a construction project, we can talk about how many different skills are needed to build something.

    When children see a book, a toy, a house, a website, a meal, or almost anything else people use, there is usually a story of human effort behind it.

    I want my children to notice that.

    Not because every moment needs to become a lesson, but because understanding how the world works can begin with simply paying attention to the people who make it work.

    Children observing people working and learning how everyday things are created
    Everyday life gives children opportunities to notice the effort, skills, and people behind the things we use.

    Raising Children Who Appreciate Effort

    I cannot know what my children will choose to do when they grow up, and I do not want to choose for them.

    What I hope to give them instead is respect for effort, curiosity about how things are created, appreciation for the work of other people, and the confidence to know that skills can be learned.

    I want them to understand that earning money matters because money gives us the ability to meet needs, make choices, plan for the future, and help others. But I also want them to understand that a meaningful life cannot be measured only by what someone earns.

    Work can be a way to create.

    It can be a way to solve a problem.

    It can be a way to take care of the people we love.

    And sometimes, it can simply be a way to be of service to someone else.

    Those are lessons I hope my children carry with them long after they are old enough to understand what a paycheck is.

    With love and a heart of service,

    Claudia Backus, MBA
    Founder, Backus BrightBots