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One of the best things about being a child is that you don’t have the responsibilities of an adult – including the financial ones. Yet while it is nice to leave our little ones in the ignorance of bliss, it can also be a real blessing to them in later life if you teach them about responsibilities as soon as you can. If you are good with money, then you will have a lot more control over your life, more freedom to do what you want to do with your life, and also the flexibility and fewer constraints with your choices in life. You will be able to go on more holidays or have the luxury to quit your job if you don’t like it and live off your savings while you search for a new one. The benefits from having financial stability really are innumerable.
This is why it is a good idea to teach your children about money and how to save from a young age. They should grow up with a better understanding of finances and be on a more solid foot in their adult life. You can teach them about everything from how to save, what a mortgage is, and about Safety Net Credit should they need it (perhaps this is also something that you have experience with, so can impart this wisdom too.) Here we have put together some top tips for helping your children to learn about money.
Give them a budget and see how they spend it
It is a good idea to give your child some pocket money each week or month and then see how they spend it. Take them out shopping and let them purchase things that they think are important or that they need and see what they spend their funds on. Remind them that once that money they have is gone, they will have to wait another week or money before they get any more. If they ask for extra, don’t just give it to them. Instead, see if they can earn it through doing jobs around the home. This teaches them that in order to get more money they will have to work for it – it doesn’t just magically appear in front of them when they need it.
Teach them about the value of things
As a child, it can be hard to learn the different values of things and this can be a skill that when taken into adult life, leads to people getting into large amounts of debt. To avoid this, teach your child about the value of things. Explain how the same item (such as TV, cars, or even fruits and vegetables in a supermarket) can vary greatly in price. Explain why this is and the differences between them. This should help them to learn the value of items. You could also play a game where they have to guess the prices of items before you show it to them. They might be a bit surprised at some of the answers – and you might be a bit shocked at some of their guesses! If you play this game each time you go shopping, see how they improve and soon have a better indication of the value of things.
Let them earn money by doing household chores
As an adult, the way that you will earn your money is through doing work. Teach your child when they are young this lesson by giving them jobs to do around the house in exchange for money. You could set different tasks at different prices, for example, they get money for washing up, for hoovering, for tidying their bedroom or for washing the car. By showing them this is the best way to earn, they will learn that the harder they work, the more money they can potentially earn and it will also be a good way to teach them responsibilities too.
Lead by a good example
Children pick up habits from their parents – both the good and the bad ones. This is why it is so important that you lead by a good example. Try not to take them fun shopping all the time and show them that there are just as many other fun pastimes. Try not to be super frivolous with your cash, purchasing items such as fast fashion pieces that you wear a few times and then either breaks or you get rid of as you don’t like it anymore. If your child asks you questions, be as honest as possible with your answers and explain about credit, debts, and overdrafts so they know about these.
Have your child come with you to open up a bank account
A bank account is something that your child will have right from when they are a little child up through their adult life. This is why you should take them to open up their own account when you can. There are a host of accounts out there that are tailored for children, where you can put in a budget each week or month and it is restricted with what they can use it on. They also can’t have things such as an overdraft. If you put money into their account and teach them how to use their bank card, they will learn the value of money digitally. They can even have an app that shows them what they have spent – something that you could go through with them each week, showing them further the value of money and what their spending habits are.
These are just a few ways that you can help your children to learn more about money and become spending savvy. It is very important that your child is as financially secure in the future as they can be and by following these top tips you know that you are setting them up for as much success as possible. What are some top tips you do to ensure that your children are as financially savvy as possible? Let us know in the comments below!
