Watching my stock investments has taught me a lot over the last decade. I have watched my investments flourish, tread water, or go to jail without collecting $200. On each day of this roller coaster ride I check out the latest business news and trends while enjoying my coffee serenaded by the ticker tape of the rustling pages of my newspaper.

Follow up:

Every investor knows that the market is ever changing. The investor who studies trends and is well advised is able to stay one step ahead of market instability and shifts; can minimize losses; and achieve greater returns. Those who invest blindly without researching adequately, put their money in the hands of an instable market, and often experience minimal returns.

But, we are in an age of instant gratification. We have become so accustomed to making instant purchases with instant credit on a whim that planning has all but disappeared from our modern vocabularies. We are firm believers in "building it and they will come." We are so confident that the act of investing will automatically equal maximum returns that our investments are being made, but are not being followed closely.

I want to suggest to each reader, that our children are much like our investments. The simple act of procreation by two individuals with great genes does not necessarily equal great kids. With teen pregnancy on the rise, the drop out rate increasing, drug usage and violence common practice, I ask myself the question, “Why are our children failing to make good decisions? Is life truly that different from when we were in school?” And the answer remains a firm “No!”

We were tempted with as many drugs as our children are; the names have just changed. And while society seems to have a greater degree of looseness to it we must remember that we were part of the "peace, love, and rock and roll" generation. What is different; what has changed is the involvement of parents. Many parents today are so busy building great castles and creating portfolios more impressive than that of their neighbors that they are ignoring their greatest investment.

As I skimmed my portfolio, I wondered how impressive our portfolio would look if it was made up of the actions of our children. Would others be impressed? Would it be the show piece of our office desk, or corner stone of our bookshelf?

For some, the answer is yes. But for most of us, after a little serious reflection, we will realize that our investment in our children is gravely lacking. Until we all take responsibility for the growth and maturity of our greatest legacy, we need never be surprised by the ROI.