Friday, October 10, 2008

MY KIDS EXPLAIN THE MELTDOWN ... "IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY'S STEALING MONEY"

As I was getting the kids ready for school this morning I had the TV on, watching market developments. The screen was full of numbers, with somber analysis. Curious, the kids asked what the numbers meant. I explained that the numbers represented what was being bought and sold in the country.

I didn't get into the details, and didn't have to because I used the Monopoly board game to make my point. They understood immediately (I thought, "Either I'm really good at explaining this, or they're smarter than I give them credit for ... I think it's the latter).

While I made their breakfast I was surprised because they stayed in front of the TV, commenting to each other as they watched the numbers go down. I asked them what they thought. Monica, referring back to the Monopoly example said, "It's like somebody's stealing money from the bank." She's 10.


My son Sebastian chimed in, "It's like a big drain ..." I was caught by what he said next, "I would just take my piece and leave." He's 9.

This, in a nutshell, explains what's happening in the markets. People think they're getting ripped off. And they're right.

If world government leaders meeting in Washington this weekend don't get their act together - and it might be too late already - this could turn into a real panic. Then we'll be confronted with another suggestion my kids threw out - playing another game.

- Mark

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