Children learn by observing others around them, particularly their parents. Kids often imitate what they see adults do, whether it’s positive or negative. If you would like your children to be polite and respectful and to follow rules, demonstrate those behaviors in your own interactions with others.

Teach Kids to Communicate Respectfully
Children learn how to speak to others by seeing and hearing how their parents communicate with other people. If you want your children to say “please” and “thank you,” make a habit of saying those things yourself. If you want your kids to speak calmly, don’t raise your voice when you get frustrated. Explain how you’re feeling in words so your children can learn how to express their own feelings.

Give Clear Instructions
Positive directions are easier for kids to understand and follow than negative ones. Instead of telling your children not to do something, tell them what you want them to do. For example, instead of saying, “Don’t leave your toys on the floor,” say, “Put your toys away when you’re done playing with them.”

Reinforce Positive Behaviors
If you see your kids behaving in a way that you would like to see continue, praise them. Instead of making generally positive comments, tell them specifically what you’re happy to see them doing. This will help reinforce the good behavior.

Assign Chores
Kids can learn values such as responsibility and cooperation and build their self-esteem by having chores to complete. Even young kids can be assigned simple tasks, such as putting dirty clothes in the hamper and picking up toys. Seeing all members of the family pitch in and work together can make children feel included and important.

Teach Your Kids to Keep Their Word
Always follow through on promises. If you tell your kids that they’ll get a reward for cleaning their rooms, give them what you promised if they do a good job. If you tell your kids that they won’t get dessert if they don’t do their homework, don’t give in if they whine and complain. Your kids will respect you if they know they can trust what you say, and they will learn to say what they mean and mean what they say.

Model the Behaviors You Want to See in Your Kids
Children learn by observing others. They’re watching you and paying attention, even if you don’t think they are. The behaviors you model are the ones your children will adopt. Set a good example by demonstrating the way you want to see your kids behave, teaching them how to express their feelings in clear and constructive ways, assigning them age-appropriate levels of responsibility, and enforcing consequences to teach positive behaviors.

We’ve all experienced it: The phone rings and you don’t recognize the number, but you answer anyway. The voice on the other end of the line is cheerful, knows your name, and starts asking personal or financial questions.

Some unwanted calls, such as those from telemarketers, are more annoying than harmful, but others might be scams that could lead to damaging identity theft or significant money loss.

That’s why caution is key.

To help consumers stop unwanted robocalls and avoid phone scams, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has provided the following tips:

• Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you do, hang up immediately.

• You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call’s phone number is falsely disguised, or “spoofed,” to trick you into picking up. Be aware: Caller ID showing a local number doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a local caller. Also, if you answer and it’s not who you expected, don’t hang on—hang up.

• If you answer the phone and the caller—or a recording—asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.

• Do not respond to any questions with “yes.” Scammers might be able to record and use the response as a voice signature to authorize fraudulent charges over the phone.

• Never give out personal information, including account numbers, Social Security numbers, mothers’ maiden names, passwords or other identifying information, in response to unexpected calls or if you’re at all suspicious.

• If you get an inquiry from someone claiming to represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request. You’ll usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.

• Use extreme caution if you’re being pressured for immediate payment or information.

• If you have a voicemail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voicemail if you do not set a password.

• Talk to your phone company about call-blocking tools it may have, and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls.

According to the FCC, unwanted calls are the government agency’s top consumer complaint, and phone scams are becoming increasingly common and more creative.

So, the next time your phone rings, keep these tips in mind. Always err on the side of caution in order to protect your identity and your wallet.

Cash can be a popular present for children when birthdays or other celebrations roll around throughout the year. But instead of letting your youngster splurge on candy or other impulse buys, set them on the right foot by helping them come up with a plan for their money.

While it may be enticing to teach your child to save their money by depositing it all in a savings account for them, consider taking the opportunity to teach them how to develop good spending habits.

Here are some simple spending habits to teach your child when they find themselves with money that’s burning a hole in their pocket:

Wait a week. Whether it’s a gift card or cash, ask your child to wait seven to 14 days to consider how to spend the money. Don’t restrict how they can spend it, just require a waiting period.

This can help them avoid an impulse purchase, which they may regret, allowing them to instead focus on something they truly want. The goal here is to teach a financial lesson that will help them appreciate money more.

Create a wish list and go shopping. During the waiting period, ask your child to write down what they want to buy. From there, if they’re old enough, you can show them how to look up prices online in order to find the best deal. You may end up buying the gift they want at a physical store, but don’t take them shopping just yet. Instead, do some research on your own first so that you can avoid impulse buys while at a store. Once the waiting period has passed and you and/or your child has found the best price, go ahead and buy the item.

Save some of it. While this isn’t necessarily a spending habit, getting into the routine of saving can be a good strategy when receiving some unexpected cash. Putting aside just 25 percent of some gift money—such as $5 out of $20—can help children learn about saving for long-term goals.

If you’re saving for retirement or have a savings account of your own, sit your child down and explain how it works and how you’re saving money to retire someday or for some other goal, such as buying a car.

Be a good example. When shopping, be careful about impulse buys, utilize credit cards correctly and shop around for the best price. Following these financial habits—and others—will provide a good example for your children and show them that you practice what you preach.

Lastly, talk about your spending decisions as a family, setting priorities for your money. Show your children that any money they get—and especially money they receive as a gift—is worth careful consideration of how it’s spent.

Nearly every home has one. Unfit for furniture, yet too conspicuous to leave bare, it’s the dreaded blank wall–dun, dun, dun!

Do you need inspiration to tackle this design disaster? These five ideas, suggested by the editors at Better Homes and Gardens, can help you fill that vacant space:

Book It. Draw inspiration from literature you no longer have a use for—matte the covers of books or periodicals with eye-catching artwork (National Geographic covers could be particularly striking), and arrange in groups to scale on the wall.

Float On. Floating shelves can help fill a void without weighing down the room. Stagger shelves of varying widths, and adorn them with accessories you already own. To really make the display pop, paint the shelves a color that contrasts with the shade on the wall.

Go to the Dark Side. Personalize the wall with shadowboxes or silhouette art—both can be customized to suit the overall theme of the room. You can repurpose old cookbooks into a gallery of culinary-inspired silhouettes, mount unused dinnerware in a series of shadowboxes, or do a reverse silhouette with silk plants and spray paint.

The Bigger, the Better. Center one oversized statement piece—think a typograph print, a floor-to-ceiling canvas, or an extra-large mirror—to define the space without adding visual clutter.

Take Up a Collection. Cluster together collections of small-scale prints. Look for ones with soft, muted palettes—think calm seascapes or tranquil forests—to add visual interest without overwhelming the space.

If you’ve just moved into a new home (or have stared at that blank wall for far too long), use these design ideas to fill it.

When it comes to saving money, every dollar counts. Whether you want to save up for a down payment or a vacation, or if you need to fatten your emergency fund, you can help meet your financial goal by evaluating your current expenses and finding simple ways to cut back. Of course, saving may also require you to make some sacrifices and prioritize your needs over wants.

To help get you started, consider these 10 cost-cutting tips from American Consumer Credit Counseling:

1. Utilize public transportation. If you have access to public transportation, using it can save you a lot of money on parking, gas or even buying a car in general.

2. Carpool. Split the cost of commuting by taking advantage of carpool lanes on your way to work. Carpooling can also reduce the wear on your car and, in turn, reduce future mechanical expenses.

3. Unplug electrical devices. Most devices still draw electricity even when they’re not in use. Be sure to unplug all devices that aren’t in use to cut down on power costs.

4. Reduce or get rid of cable. Downgrade from premium cable, or get rid of it altogether. Most of the main channels offer either free or minimal monthly subscriptions to stream shows.

5. Cook at home. Going out for meals is not cheap, and the costs add up quickly. Cooking at home more often can significantly reduce your expenses. Also, consider cooking in bulk and freezing the leftovers for future family meals or bringing them to work for lunch.

6. Buy off-brand. Buying off-brand products at grocery stores can add up to significant savings over time. There’s often little to no difference between brand and off-brand items. You can also save by buying generic or store-brand drugs. Talk to your doctor about less expensive alternatives to name brands.

7. Cancel gym memberships. Go for a run outside, hop on a bike and lift weights at home for a cheaper option to exercise.

8. Turn off the lights. To save on electricity expenses, don’t forget to turn off lights each time you leave a room.

9. Insurance policies. Whether you’re looking for health, life, property or auto insurance, always shop around for coverage. Then periodically check to ensure you’re getting the best rates. Many insurance companies offer bundled discounts.

10. Clothing. Buy clothes out of season when stores discount them.

These are just 10 examples of the many ways you can reduce your expenses. Although some might seem like minor changes, the savings could add up big over time. Get creative, make some sacrifices and reap the benefits!

Do you live in an apartment or condominium? If so, do you know what to do in case there’s a fire when you’re home? To help you stay safe, the U.S. Fire Administration offers the following quick tips:

Building Fire Safety
Fire prevention tools in and around your apartment are essential for fire safety.

• Make sure your apartment has working smoke alarms, including in each sleeping room. Test the alarms every month, and replace their batteries every year.
• Don’t prop open exit or stairway doors in your apartment complex. These are installed to slow the spread of heat and smoke if there’s a fire.
• Speak to your apartment manager if you see a damaged smoke alarm, fire extinguisher or an emergency light that has burned out.

Be Prepared
Create an escape plan. Discuss how you’ll get outside in case of a fire, and practice your plan.

• Count the number of doors there are between your apartment and the nearest fire exit. Memorize the number in case you have to find the exit in the dark.
• Know where all the exit doors and stairs are on your floor.
• Learn your building evacuation plan if you have one. Create and practice an escape plan for your own apartment.

Stay Calm
In the event of a fire, stay calm. Move to the exit as you’ve practiced. Call the fire department once you’re outside.

• If your door feels warm to the touch, do not attempt to open it. Call 911 and tell the dispatcher your apartment number and that you can’t open your door. Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding or tape. Cover vents. Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a white cloth.
• If your apartment door is cool to the touch, open it slowly. Stay low and check for smoke or fire in the hallway. If the hallway is safe, follow your building’s evacuation plan. Never use an elevator to escape a fire. Always use the stairs.

Wait Outside for the Fire Department
Once you’re outside, move away from the building. Give firefighters and fire trucks plenty of space.

• Stay outside. Do not go back inside for any reason.
• If you think someone is still inside, tell firefighters where you think the person is.
• Wait until firefighters tell you it’s safe to go back inside.

For more fire safety tips, visit usfa.fema.gov.