Spend, Share and Save as a Family

In the UAE we see alot of privilege and families who have the opportunity to live a wonderful, fulfilled life and sometimes forget that their is a world of people out there who live on less than $2.50 a day and are struggling for survival.  Today we should consider them and the blessings we have.  International Family Day is a time for reflection, awareness and a start for engagement.  The ability to make a difference is something that can start from a seed and even small steps towards a goal will result in true change.At The Blossom Nursery, this semester we have been learning about “Spend Share Save” – a program of activity that engages children in awareness of financial literacy where we learn that for each dollar we should spend 1/3 (our instant gratification); save 1/3 (delayed gratification) and share 1/3.  This idea stems from the belief that good planning starts young and teaching about character, social and emotional development and other key facets of the early years curriculum must be built up on an experience based approach.  We have lived this approach where our children collected donations for the Dhaka Dwellers and CEENA foundation and shared some of the things they use everyday like binders, notebooks, pens, pencils and pencil cases as part of a larger TEDx Change collection. This seemingly small step of sharing in a young child’s mind has big consequences.  In as much as it benefits the recipient – the learning and “Mindshift” that occurs should also not be overlooked.  We used the learning opportunities to discuss how much we have and the difference between needs and wants; and how character counts and what we do have big impacts.The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year.  Spend time with your family and discuss issues relating to families and increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families so that together we can make a change in the world!Zahra Andalusia Hamirani, Esq.Founder, The Blossom Nursery