Why I Bring my Kids to REIA and Wealth Meetings (even if I'm teaching)

Many people have known me for years as the lady who always brings her son.  He's old enough to sit out of the way with his video game, and I always get a lot of compliments on his behavior. He's sat through REIA meetings since he was 1 year old. He's sat through almost every Financial Peace University class I've facilitated - and can practically teach it himself.  He even sat through a few of my CFP certification classes (and would get mad when the concepts were too hard for him).

It was cool- when I was bringing a quiet 10 year old.  Not so cool now that I have an infant.

Infants cry. Infants feed. Infants burp. Infants spit-up. I tend to think mine does less of these things than average (and when he does get loud, I remove him from the class).  

Or, if I'm teaching the class we take a break.

I find the baby far less annoying than the people whose cell phones are constantly buzzing (or ringing), who are talking amongst themselves or rustling so much paper that I can't hear the speaker.  

Last week I was reminded that I, as a mom, have become desensitized to what constitutes an annoying baby noise.  I guess I just don't hear it the way others do. I had been attending a new REIA for a little bit, bringing several of my BWT students, and did my usual "park in the back with the baby stroller."  Unfortunately, someone complained about his noise level and I was asked not to bring him back to their meetings.

In my protest, I was hit with the point of "You claim to be a financial planner - why don't you have enough money to hire someone to watch him?"

Wait what?

I honestly hadn't considered that point before, and I politely explained that my kids are in someone else's care all day long and I want them with me in the evenings and on the weekends.  I explained that my older son would not have the ability to sit still during my classes and entertain himself if not from the training he, himself, had received starting as an infant.  

If he hadn't been to all these REIAs and all these money classes, he wouldn't have over $500 saved up for his phone. At age 10.  Just waiting for Mom to allow him to buy it (smile).  

If I hadn't put him in the path of investor after investor, and taken him to things like the Home Depot kids build it when he was old enough to carry a hammer, then he wouldn't have been able to help me with this latest rehab.  

If I didn't bring him to my Building Wealth Together monthly meetings, he wouldn't know how to be a gracious host, check people in, or shoot films (he's still learning- and this is how it starts).  This isn't why the meetings are family friendly (they're family friendly because I was a single mom for years so just about EVERYTHING I put on is family friendly or makes accommodations for single mamas who need to bring their kids)

Let's take it beyond just meetings: By shopping with me, my older boy is finally understanding how much food costs and the savings you get from eating at home more.  By having to work off the plumber fee he's learning how much money is wasted when you clog the toilet through negligence. He's learning it's far easier to take care of something than to earn money to replace it.  

I know many meetings / rehabs / activities are not conducive to having kiddos attend- even well behaved ones.  And sometimes you get there, and their behavior is just atrocious and you have to leave right away.  They don't want to nurse covered. They don't want to sit still. The noisy microphone aggravates them.  It irritated me to pack him up and go home after only 30 minutes, but such is life. I did that many a time with his older brother until eventually I didn't have to anymore.

All in all, I encourage you to look for opportunities to bring your children along with you on your wealth building journey.