Our grown kids are away from home, but their bank statements arrive here. One just arrived – a balance of $8.15. Some parents would look at that and shake their head, but I think it’s great. This is how my children learn the value of things, by being poor.

I remember an episode of “Cosby” where Vanessa looks around the house, sees the nice paintings on the wall and the expensive furniture. A smile appears on her face and she proudly proclaims, “Dad, we’re rich!” To which Cliff wryly exclaims, “No, Vanessa, I’M rich, YOU’RE poor!”

Cliff had the right idea. Too many parents never let their children develop a work-ethic and a sense of proportion. They shower them with gifts and toys – they let them live on easy street. Small wonder their kids don’t learn to respect others. They never are given the opportunity to learn how to be grateful for everything in life. They never get a chance to learn Paul’s secret, the secret of being content no matter what his circumstances.

I have a friend with a large company who went out and hired well over 100 of the best and the brightest from the top schools around the country. After a year, he saw that they were a bunch of ingrates who didn’t know how to work hard, so he fired most of them, hiring those who had proven their work-ethic instead.

Doubtless the parents of all those bright young people felt they were doing the best thing for them, but they were wrong.