6 Tips for Teaching Your Kids about Money

If we avoid the topic of money with our kids, they will inevitably learn money lessons elsewhere. While I cannot speak for anyone else, my wife and I certainly do not want our daughter to learn how to think about, value, or manage money from social media, the news, or advertising. Yet if we don't bring intentionality to the lessons we teach her about this crucial and unavoidable part of life, these sources will almost certainly fill the void.

To equip you with tools to teach the kind of money lessons you want your children to learn, read more for six actionable steps.

1. Be a Good Financial Role Model

Children learn best by modeling the behavior that they see from their parents. This means the first step is examining your own attitudes about money and how you handle it, especially in front of your children. Always be mindful to set a good example and make sure to take advantage of teaching moments that you encounter along the way. 

2. Provide Your Child With an Earned Allowance

Your child needs to know that they receive money by working for it. For younger children, you can provide them with an allowance for simple tasks such as making their bed, clearing their dishes, etc. As they get older, you can assign them more difficult household tasks. This allowance should be their spending money, and they should be allowed to spend it on what they choose. Use the allowance as a teaching tool and let them know if they plan for what they want, they can save up their money and buy it. 

3. Help Your Child Start Their Savings

A crucial part of learning to manage money is understanding the value of savings and how to save to meet your wants and needs. Teaching your child to put their money aside to build until they have what they need to make their purchase can not only show them how saving their money can result in them getting what they want and need but also teaches them patience and discourages impulse spending. 

4. Teach Your Child Early About Credit

Credit problems are one of the biggest financial issues that young adults have to deal with. This is often due to a lack of understanding of how the credit process works. When credit is misunderstood, it is often viewed as free money, and young adults fail to realize how much it costs them both regarding their ability to borrow and how much they will really end up owing. When your child enters their teen years, considering loaning them money for something they need. Then structure a repayment schedule as a deduction from their allowance, having them also keep track of the balance each week until the debt is fully paid. 

5. Show Your Child the Benefits of Being a Wise Consumer

One of the biggest parts of managing money is controlling spending. This can mean making the best choices when it comes to making purchases and also deciding whether or not the value of the item is worth it. When your child wants something, discuss with them if they think they need the product or will use it for a while or see if they were perhaps just swayed by heavy advertising. The why behind a purchase is very important in determining if it is a wise purchase. Once they have decided the product is worth buying, help them to learn to comparison shop to get the best price.

6. Set Budgets and Stick to Them

While every parent loves to spoil their children, buying them what they want all the time is setting them up for failure in the future. You should always set budgets and limits when you can and stick to the budget so your child can learn to make choices and understand that staying in budget is important. Budgets can be used for special occasion outfits, back to school shopping, or when planning a party.