Parent Student Activities

Discuss with your child why you choose the stores, gas  stations, restaurants, etc. that you choose to frequent?   Try to include discussion regarding their prices, quality goods, location, and cleanliness.

While driving, preparing dinner, or during television commercials, discuss some of the terms that your child has learned after visiting Enterprise Village. Which businesses provide goods and which provide services?  Is the video game that you want to buy a want or a need (clothing, shelter, and food are needs)?  What’s the difference between a consumer and a producer?

After leaving a business ask your child if it was a quality business. Why or why not?  Have a discussion about what makes a quality business.

Discuss saving for a “rainy day”. Take your child to open a savings account.  Together look at the monthly statement and point out the interest earned during the month.  Talk about the benefits of keeping money in a savings account for a long period of time.  This topic could also lead to further discussion regarding the various services that a bank provides.

As you write checks and complete the check register encourage your child to observe during your child’s visit to Enterprise Village he or she will be filling out deposit slips, writing checks for purchases, and completing a check register.  The sheets, “Getting ready for Enterprise Village” can be used for practice.

If you receive a paycheck you may want to share it with your child to demonstrate how gross pay is not the actual amount that is taken home for the family.  This can be a valuable way to teach a lesson about the deductions that appear on your paycheck.

When providing your child with money, stress the importance of budgeting.  To assist your child with budgeting consider giving him or her a monetary amount weekly instead of daily.  Examples may include money for and allowance and/or lunch.

On a trip to a dollar store, once items have been selected for purchase, have your child mentally calculate the tax.  They can do this by multiplying the dollar amount by 7.

Children will have shopping time at Enterprise Village. Most students run out of shopping time before they run out of money.  Discuss with your child some effective ways to budget time for shopping.

At school students will apply for the job they will be assigned at Enterprise Village.  During the Enterprise Village experience each child will receive 3 paychecks.  Discuss the importance of job choice, teamwork, decision-making and ethics in the workplace.  If you’re able to share some of your experiences, your child will gain a better understanding of the“real world” and it will heighten the excitement of their visit.