4 Things to Know; 4 Things to Consider Last year I read an article that blew my mind. It talked about how much money the average family spent on prom for their kids. I've saved that article for 9 months, and with prom season right around the corner, I'd like to share 4 surprising statistics and 4 questions to ponder and discuss with your teens. Surprising Stats: 1. The average American family spent $1,139 on prom last year. 2. Southern families spent an average of $1,203. $64 above the mean. 3. Families with making less than 50k/year and families with single parents spent significantly MORE than the average. 4. These stats are 5% higher than 2012. I'm betting it will be higher again this year. Things to Consider: 1. Prom has an almost mythical status in our culture. There's a reason that all teenage romance movies climax at the prom. For many teens, going for the first time is a rite of passage. How is your family harnessing the power of this experience? What are you teaching your kids along the way? 2. When you spend money, you have an idea of what you hope to receive in return. The larger the investment, the larger the anticipated return. What are you hoping your kids will get out of this financial investment? What are they hoping to get out of it? 3. Prom is a night where teens get to pretend to be grown up. Sort of. They dress in formal wear, shed the supervision of most adults, and party like it's 1999. This is a great opportunity to talk about responsibility, choices, and what it means to really be an adult. Set high expectations, not just for the night, but for the men and women they are becoming. 4. The amount of money we're willing to spend on a one-night school dance has, frankly, gotten a bit out of hand. If you don't already have frequent conversations with your teens about finances, budgeting, stewardship, and generosity, this is a great way to start that discussion. I'm no curmudgeon. I went to my Junior and Senior Proms. Adjusting for inflation, in today's dollars I spent around $175 (my sister went for less). But what you do with your money isn't my concern. My hope is that during this prom season we'll be conscientious of what we're spending and use it as an opportunity for teaching our kids and helping them grow. I also hope that we'll remind our kids that even on an important, emotionally-charged, culturally-hyped night like prom, we never lose perspective. And that perspective starts and ends with Christ. In Him,    Aaron K.