Kids

Getting Through Tough Times

Photo by Gil Vaknin

Photo by Gil Vaknin

If you lost a job, how long would your nest egg hold out? For six in 10 Americans, the frightening answer is less than 90 days. For four in 10 it’s an even more frightening less than 30 days.

And how would your family fare in the process? That’s the question posed by a prime-time special from the folks at Sesame Workshop in collaboration with David Letterman’s company Worldwide Pants and Lookalike Productions. Families Stand Together, hosted by the husband and wife team of Al Roker and Deborah Roberts – in which I was fortunate to play a role — airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on PBS stations across the country and will be available at SesameWorkshop.org thereafter. It takes a look at the experiences of five families who have experienced job loss or other economic setbacks. More…

Washington’s Unplugged Interview

Elmo and I joined Bob Shieffer on Washington’s Unplugged a few days ago to talk about our PBS special, Families Stand Together:  Feeling Secure in Tough Times. You can catch it on Wednesday, September 9th at 8pm EST.  In meantime, check out our chat with Bob:


Watch CBS Videos Online

The Allowance Project, vol. 1

istock_000000499383xsmall2A confession: I am one of those parents guilty of not always giving my kids their allowances.  I know the disturbing lesson this teaches them — that when they grow up and eventually have bills and debts of their own they really don’t have to pay them on time. They can slide. Little will happen.  Of course, when the mortgage or utility company and not your teens are the creditor, that’s absolutely not the case.  

For the past two years, I have “promised” that this year will be different.  It hasn’t been. Instead, there will come a week when one of my kids (or both) will say, Mom, you owe me 4 (or 5 or 7) weeks allowance.  And not knowing if they are right or — perhaps — giving themselves the benefit of the doubt (that’s parental guilt working in their favor) — I pay up.   More…

Pets. Food. Sex.

Pets.
Food.
Sex.

Michael Silverstein, co-author of the upcoming book Women Want More, asked thousands of women: What makes you happy? Those are the top answers.

Pets.
Food.
Sex.

Not loving spouses. Fabulous children. Interesting work. Or a bank account full of cash.

Pets.
Food.
Sex.

I got a sneak peek at the book and Silverstein’s thought process when we touched base earlier this week. And so I asked him: What’s the deal? More…

Tips for New Parents

I was on Today this morning with some financial advice for surviving your baby’s first year as part of a segment with Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo, authors of Today’s Moms, and Joy Bauer, Today’s nutritionist.  Check out the video below, as well as the behind-the-scenes picture after the jump!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

More…

 

Appearances

NBC Today Show, Money 911

Wednesdays, 9am EDT

Next Appearances

  • NBC/Today Show
  • Wednesdays, 9am
  • All times eastern

    Past Appearances

    View Jean's past appearances online