Parents do want their children to be financially responsible.

“These skills are hugely important,” said Joe Schulz, an Ottumwa businessman and parent. “Obviously, this country is in a financial situation right now. I’m not a financial expert, but in my opinion, that could have been avoided.”

He said no single class of people, from lenders to borrowers, can take all the blame, but responsible borrowing could certainly have helped avoid the extent of the financial crisis.

“Credit has its place but overuse of it can get you in trouble,” he said. “I wish parents would teach that. We’ve got to get that information to the kids, and it’s not coming from the parents. Finances are one of those realms kids have to have. They turn 18 and go to college and get all these credit card offers. You and I know as soon as you get one [card], you’ll get more offers in the mail.

As time goes on, some skills can become more or less important, Schulz feels. He has one child in high school, one in middle school and one in elementary school.

“I do not know how relevant checking accounts are going to be; we are more in the realm of credit cards and debit cards,” he said.

In fact, he said, debit cards are an easy way to get young people used to the idea of appropriate transactions.

“[For parents], debit cards are a no brainer,” he said. “If [a young person] swipes for $100 at the cash register, and [their] account only has $75, [they] have to put something back. And that, of course, teaches them to know what’s in their account — and to know to put money into that account.”

Stinson encountered the Consumer and Career Math class not just as an educator, but as a mom.

“All three of my kids took it,” she said. “It was a real eye-opener. One [activity] was to budget for a vacation when you eat at restaurants every day, compared to when you stop at a market to [buy food] to make. My kids were amazed at the costs.”

Her daughter and two boys are grown now, but at the time, she encouraged them to take the course and to keep track of their own finances.

“As a single parent, I taught them, ‘here’s what you need to do.’ They had a checkbook real young,” she said, recalling her daughter had one in eighth grade. “It wasn’t a lot of money, but I told them, you can’t write a check if you don’t have that [amount] of money in the account.”

The class helped them learn how to keep track of how much they had in the bank and made them practice.

“I think my children really benefited from it,” Stinson said.

Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mgnewman@mchsi.com.