Teaching Your Children Smart Money Practices - MetroFamily Magazine
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Teaching Your Children Smart Money Practices

by Sue Lynn Sasser

Reading Time: 3 minutes 

Studies show that children’s attitudes about money are based on what they learn at home. For some, that may be a scary thought! But taking a few steps to engage children in learning about money is a great way to help them understand personal responsibility. Even parents who aren’t successful with their money management skills can lay the foundation for their children to make good financial choices.

While most parents tend to hide their family’s financial status from their children, open communication is meaningful and helps them to understand how money relates to real-life experiences. Allow children to participate in discussions about paying bills, making future purchases and setting family goals. This also includes discussing financial mistakes and how you handled them. Of course, each age range calls for a different level of information:

  • Preschool: Keep it simple. Start by having them collect coins for something they want to buy, and place the coins in a clear container so they may watch their savings grow. You can also introduce basic counting skills, showing how five pennies equal a nickel and four quarters equal one dollar. Encourage them to identify one goal they want to reach, such as a ticket to a special movie or a new toy. Setting aside money for a specific goal will help them understand the importance of saving for future purchases and establish a habit of savings.
  • Elementary School: Introduce financial institutions. Help your child open a savings account at a local bank or credit union. You may want to use some of the money they have saved, pay them allowance or pay them for completing household chores. You may also want to match their initial amount as a show of support. Some children may be able to earn money by doing odd jobs for other family members, friends or neighbors while others may receive cash for birthdays. Whatever the source, be sure they place a certain percentage of all money received into their savings accounts. And, finally, get your child involved in community service or charitable giving. Either have them set aside a small amount of money each month or donate a few hours of time to a worthy cause.
  • Middle School: Set up a budget. Work with your child to determine what purchases are appropriate expenditures for their savings. Perhaps you want them to start buying birthday gifts for their friends, paying for their entertainment (video games and movies) or buying specific items of clothing that goes above your family budget. Help them to determine how much they can spend from their savings or other sources of income.
  • High School: Focus on the future. Many of the choices your child makes during these years can have lifelong implications. Talking with teens about careers and earning potential, consumer credit and credit cards, savings and investing and college expenses can help them avoid future mistakes. However, be sure to keep the lines of communication open to assist them in making choices or help them resolve whatever mistakes are made. Because many teens have jobs or allowances, it is an appropriate time to take them to the bank or credit union to open a checking account and get a debit card. Having the banker discuss the rights and responsibilities of managing a bank account will provide additional guidance to build your teen’s money management skills.
  • College/Young Adult: Financial responsibility is a lifelong commitment. Just because your child is grown and living away from home does not guarantee financial responsibility. College students with a viable income are eligible for credit cards that can be easily maxed out. It is critically important to keep the lines of communication open, without being judgmental. Help them establish a budget and learn from the mistakes that they make. Encourage them to open an IRA, a mutual fund or other investment tool as they plan for their future. In addition, discuss the importance of participating in their employer’s retirement fund. Because most college students today have some form of student loans, be sure they are aware of their financial responsibility for repaying those loans once they leave campus.

Taking the time and effort to prepare your children for their financial future is win-win. As parents, it is important to provide whatever guidance you can and still allow them to make their own mistakes. Learning from those mistakes will help them recover from future mistakes and teach personal responsibility. They will be proud of their accomplishments and learn the tools needed to be financially successful.

Sue Lynn Sasser, PhD, is an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Oklahoma.

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