Ep. 11: The Opposite of Spoiled with Ron Lieber

What summer camp offers is the opportunity to quite deliberately place them [children]
in a very different environment, and if you are careful about that,
you can use that summer period as almost a “spiritual delousing.”
-Ron Lieber


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In Episode 11 of the podcast, I’m talking with Ron Lieber, author of the 2015 New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money. Lieber, father of two, has been the “Your Money” columnist for the New York Times since 2008, has a robust community and conversation on his Facebook page and an informative website. Lieber is a sought-after keynote speaker.

“Every money conversation is also a conversation about values.”
-Ron Lieber

About the book: “The Opposite of Spoiled is all about how, when and why to talk to kids about money, whether they are 3 years old or teenagers. Written in a warm, accessible voice, grounded in real-world experience and stories from families with a range of incomes, The Opposite of Spoiled is both a practical guidebook and a values-based philosophy.”

In our interview, we talked about “forced deprivation,” not buying kids everything they want just because we can afford it. Because he mentioned summer camp in a section of his book titled “How Overnight Camp Can Help” (p. 187 in the paperback), I reached out to talk with Ron more about his thoughts on how summer camp experiences can help teach kids values.

The Stanford psychologist Lieber refers to in our interview is William Damon, author of The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life and Failing Liberty 101: How We Are Leaving Young Americans Unprepared for Citizenship in a Free Society (Hoover Institution Press Publication), among several other books.

Where to find and follow Ron Lieber:

“Your Money” column, New York Times

Ron Lieber’s Website: Sign up for tips on how to have more useful and meaningful family conversations about money.

The Opposite of Spoiled

Facebook: Ron Lieber and The Opposite of Spoiled

Twitter: @ronlieber

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