For Wise Moms: Maximizing your Most Important Leadership Role this Summer

Emily Bouchard is our guest blogger this week. A Next Octave Women’s Leadership Program Graduate, Emily’s international work pays attention to the legacy of wisdom we leave as mom’s, partners, and wives. When her mother died, Emily reflected on what she ultimately missed above all else, ” I yearn for my mom’s feminine wisdom in my life and wish I had her words to draw from her leadership long after she’s been gone.” Here’s Emily’s wise perspective on the summer, travel with the kids, and a legacy of philanthropy.

Emily Bouchard

Summer brings forth plans for travel and family time for moms with children of all ages.  Women in leadership roles in their professional lives find themselves in a unique position as leader, mentor (or “femtor”), and guide to our children as we seek to empower them and keep them from feeling entitled (and perhaps even spoiled) by the good fortune we have helped to bring into their lives.

Using family trips during the summer as a way to strengthen bonds, tap into unifying values, and spark a sense of privilege and responsibility can be much easier than you think.  Children of all ages tend to rise to the occasion when given specific roles and tasks related to the family trip.

Some examples of what women have done to cultivate their children’s natural giving instinct and desire to engage in the travel planning include:

1. Having each child research the locale of the trip and create a “travel brochure” for the family for their designated part of the trip where they will be the “tour guide”.  They get to choose where the family will go and their job is to make the “tour” is interesting and enjoyable.

2. Giving each child the same amount of money, with half allotted towards souvenirs and treats, and half allotted towards giving back somehow to the community the family intends to visit.  The children (and remember, any age) get to look at how to leverage their resources and work together towards making the most out of the opportunity given.

For more ideas related to how to engage your children in your travel plans, and bring philanthropy and giving back into the conversation as you discover new places together, you can join the authors, Emily Bouchard and Jamie Traeger-Muney for an interactive webinar about this topic hosted by Catalytic Women.

Emily Bouchard is the co-author of  Estate Planning for the Blended Family with Paul Hood, and leads “Your Intangible Legacy” Ethical Will Workshop for religious, civic, and estate planning organizations. Emily is also the Managing Partner of Wealth Legacy Group, a consultancy specializing in the emotional impact of wealth in people’s lives.  WLG works with clients and their advisors through individual and group coaching, speaking, workshops and in-service trainings designed to address the qualitative side of financial management and estate planning.

Thank you Emily for your wisdom on emotions and money and blended families and paying attention to the legacy we leave.

Warm regards,

Karen