Identity theft is a common concern for many Americans, and unfortunately, there’s good reason for that. There are numerous factors that impact your risk, from where you live to your credit score.

Despite the frequency of identity theft among adults, children might actually be at an even greater risk. The unsettling part? You’ll probably have no idea it’s happening to your child.

Criminals target minors for similar reasons they target deceased individuals: it is less likely that someone is checking their credit report. They then use their personal information, typically for non-financial purposes, like applying for apartment rentals or getting medical treatment.

This is exactly what happened to Kim Brooks, a mother who intentionally left her then-four-year-old son alone in the car to play his game while she ran into a store. Although she was only gone a few minutes, a passerby videotaped the “abandoned” child and reported Brooks to the police.

One of the top skills people wish they’d learned in school is basic money management, but personal finance lessons are usually left up to parents. You can give your kid a head-start in life if you teach them the importance of earning and saving, the rules of credit and interest, and how to manage it all when they’re living on their own.

Big Life Lessons For Little Ones

Your tiny tot is learning how to count, so you can start incorporating lessons about how to earn, save, and spend money. Reward your child for completing chores with cash, and let them store their money in a piggy bank.

Finding “the one” can be hard enough, but as a single parent, the search seems even more difficult. Whether you’ve been raising your child or children on your own since the beginning, you’ve been widowed, or you went through a nasty public divorce, jumping back into the dating scene might seem intimidating.

Getting Out There

It may seem like you’re surrounded by all things kid-related and you’ll never meet Ms. or Mr. Right, but you can increase your odds of finding love if you choose the right places. Bookstores, farmer’s markets and street fairs are all great places for you and your little ones – and for potentially making a connection.

Unfortunately, adoption scams are more common than you might think. Like many victims of fraud, people who fall for these scams are emotionally vulnerable. They’ve often struggled with infertility and are willing to believe anyone who gives them a glimmer of hope about having a child. They’ll do anything – including give up their life’s savings – if they think it will help them get a child sooner.

It’s common – almost cliché – to hear stories about parents not liking their adult child’s partner. But just as often, adult children of divorced or widowed parents aren’t too keen on Mom or Dad’s new love interest, either.

It’s natural to feel uneasy or uncomfortable about your parent being in a new relationship. You may feel like it’s too soon after the divorce or death for your parent to be pursuing a new partner. It can also be hard to adjust to the idea that your mother or father is now a single adult back on the dating scene.