When it comes to teaching kids about money, surveys indicate that most parents would rather not, so much so that they wait until their kids are 15 to start. This oversight may be generational; another poll indicates that only one in four American adults learned money lessons from their parents. The gap shows: America continually rates poorly on financial literacy indicators; 60% of Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency with their savings; and 61% of Americans don’t know how much money they need to retire. Surveys indicate that 80% of newly graduated teens rank financial pressures as either a “major or minor problem.” Stress about money is a huge problem in this country, one which parents presumably would like very much to help their children avoid. But how?

It may surprise you, but Nordstrom offers some worthwhile lessons for families. The retailer is unique for its unswerving focus on the customer, and it works hard to promote values that enable the company to provide industry-leading customer service. Families can learn from this. One of the first steps for families in their quest for purpose and identity is to identify the values they hold to be most important. Values are crucial; they set the parameters for how a family behaves on its journey to fulfilling its purpose.

Budgeting—the word alone brings shivers to the spine. When we think about budgeting, we usually imagine piles of excel sheets and bank statements, calculators, stress, and lots of cutting of things we actually enjoy doing. No wonder only 41% of American households follow a budget. But budgeting is crucial for a lot of reasons, some of which have more to do with your relationship quality than with money.