How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (2024)

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Here on WhatMommyDoes, I write quite often about personal finance from an adult perspective. How to save money for big purchases, how to meal plan on a budget, where to get printable coupons, how to make extra money on the side, how to invest your hard earned dollars…..

But one thing I haven’t covered much is TEACHINGKIDS ABOUT MONEY.

Now that my kids are getting older (they’re now 8, 6, and 4), I am thinking a lot about their future. I’m thinking about all the things I have to teach them in the short time I have them in my home, and it’s a daunting task!

How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (1)

Financial literacy is one my passions (I am a CPA, after all!) All throughout college my eyes were opened to just how little our children are exposed to number crunching and financial know-how while they are growing up.

Learning about things like how banks operate, how to open up and manage retirement accounts, and even simple things like how to budget for groceries weren’t things we learned as kids. We learned geography, algebra, how to diagram sentences, and even how to dissect a frog….but what about the money skills every single one of us needs to know to live our lives?

Where was that education?

I think we can do better for our children. All of us!

So I’m starting to take my “parenting financial journey” seriously….I’m carving a new path to financial knowledge for my children, and I’d love for you to join me on my journey to raising financially savvy kids!! 🙂

Excellent Book about Kids & Money

I am currently about half way through a book called The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money.

The book is quite excellent! It’s opening my eyes to the kinds of questions I can expect from each one of my kids, including “Are we rich?” and “Why don’t we have a nicer car like my friend does?” and what to say in those situations! I feel like I’m way more prepared for questions like these now. I highly recommend the book to any parent concerned about raising kids who understand money and know how to make financial decisions based on values.
How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (2)How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (3)

How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (4)

I hope this page will become an ever growing resources of tools and tips for teaching kids about money.

Let’s start with some basic stuff – a book about teaching kids about money plus cute piggy banks!

Save / Spend / Give Piggy Banks

Piggy banks are a neat tool for teaching younger children about money in general.

Even to start with recognizing different coins and memorizing their values (we just went through this in Kindergarten this year with my middle child, so it’s fresh on my brain!).

I think the piggy banks with sections for saving, spending, donating, and investing are just the neatest things! Ireally love these two piggy bank styles:

How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (5)How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (6)
How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (7)How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (8)

ATM Piggy Banks

These types of piggy banks are a bit more detailed. It works like a for real ATM machine.

Your kid will have their own card, a pin number, and be able to see their total displayed. It also has a feature to set savings goals so they can see how much more money they need to accomplish it.

This is a very useful tool for money management. The coin reader makes it easier to use for younger kids while still teaching them finance management skills.

How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (9)How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (10)

Up next:

  • Best books to teach your kids about money
  • How to answer the question “Are we poor?”
  • A jingle to help littlekids remember how much coins are worth

I was just browsing around Amazon and found a lot more piggy banks for kids! There are just so many and they’re too cute!

More from WhatMommyDoes

  • How to Raise Money Smart Kids
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Lena Gott

I'm a CPA turned SAHM of 3 little ones ages 4, 6, and 9. I'm a mommy by day, blogger by night. Join me as I write about fun kids activities, family finances, and losing 50 lbs after baby #3.

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How to Teach Kids About Money - What Mommy Does (2024)

FAQs

How to teach value of money to kids? ›

When they're little
  1. Introduce the value of money.
  2. Emphasize saving.
  3. Introduce them to investing.
  4. Encourage a summer job.
  5. Introduce them to credit.
  6. Consider a Roth IRA.
  7. Help them set a budget.
  8. Encourage them to stay invested.

What is an effective kid friendly money lesson you can teach any kid you know? ›

Teach Them About Budgeting

Tell them the importance of setting aside specific amounts for different spending categories and why following a budget is essential. As much as possible, you want them to realize that budgets are a crucial stepping stone toward financial success and should not be ignored.

What do rich parents teach their kids about money? ›

Wealthy parents emphasize the power of passive income and investments. They teach their children early on about the magic of compound interest and the value of having money work for them, rather than constantly working for money.

How to teach kids about saving money? ›

We have five simple yet effective tips to help parents teach their children the value of saving:
  1. Set Up a Savings Account: ...
  2. Discuss Wants vs. ...
  3. Allow Them to Earn Their Own Money: ...
  4. Help Them Set Savings Goals: ...
  5. Provide Incentives for Meeting Savings Goals:
Mar 26, 2024

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings.

What is money in simple words? ›

Money is any object that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally, a standard of deferred payment.

What parents should teach their kids about money? ›

Here are some easy and fun ways to teach your kids about money.
  • Introduce the Concept of Money: Introduce young kids to coins first. ...
  • Take them to set up a bank account: Take your kid to a local bank to open a savings account. ...
  • Let them earn money: Working for mom and dad will help kids learn about earnings.
Mar 24, 2024

How do you teach basic money skills? ›

2. Get them familiar with money
  1. Give them a piggy bank or money box for their own cash.
  2. Talk about why it's important to keep money safe.
  3. Introduce the idea of saving for something they really want.
  4. Together, regularly count the money they've saved.

What does the Bible say about money for kids? ›

Jesus never shied away from talking about money, however, and He often did so. He said that the way we use money reflects the state of our hearts (Matthew 5:42). He taught his followers to be generous, but to do so humbly (Matthew 6:2). And He said no one could serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).

What does Rich Dad Poor Dad say about money? ›

It doesn't matter how much money you make but how much you save. The only money that makes any difference in your life is the money you save. You may earn a lot but pay taxes and spend it on essential expenses, leaving next to nothing with you. Earning a lot of money doesn't make you rich, but keeping most of it does.

What does Rich Dad Poor Dad teach us? ›

The poor buy luxuries first, and the rich buy luxuries last. Kiyosaki reminds us that when share prices decline, people get scared, run away or sell up, but when the local supermarket has a sale, people buy as much as they can. Most people's lives are controlled by the two emotions of fear and greed.

How do you explain rich and poor to a child? ›

Keep It Simple and Relatable

For all kids, especially young ones, it's important to make conversations about money and class relatable. That can help their understanding of why some people do well financially while others struggle. This was one of the reasons I rewrote the classic Little Engine that Could story.

When to start teaching kids about money? ›

He recommends teaching five- to eight-year-olds “very, very basic things” like that money has value and how choices made with it have an impact. For eight to 12-year-olds topics can be more complex, Landolt believes. “You can talk about the different types or uses of money.

Why teach your kids about money? ›

Set Them on a Path Toward a Solid Financial Future. Managing money isn't easy. Waiting to learn about handling money until you are on your own as an adult makes it even more challenging. Teaching kids about money early on will help them to become more financially independent as they get older.

How to explain the value of money to a child? ›

It helps to:
  1. Start talking to kids about money in an age-appropriate way.
  2. Allow them to experience spending or saving with their own money.
  3. Have discussions about where they think money comes from.
  4. Talk about how you earn money.
  5. Discuss the value of money.
Nov 8, 2022

At what age should kids learn the value of money? ›

Age 7: How to understand the value of money

Louise Hill says, “It may feel very early to be starting serious conversations about money, but our research shows that by age seven, many money habits will be set. This is the perfect age to introduce the value of money.

How to teach kids the value of a dollar? ›

10 Tips for Teaching the Value of a Dollar
  1. Start with an allowance. What better way to learn the value of money than by earning it? ...
  2. Stress the importance of saving. ...
  3. Be their first lender. ...
  4. Show them hard work pays off. ...
  5. Get them their first credit card. ...
  6. Set new challenges. ...
  7. The benefits of long-term savings. ...
  8. Know the market.

How do I teach my 13 year old the value of money? ›

One of the best ways to teach teens about the value of money is to give them space to make their own financial decisions with their money. Beth Zemble. VP for Education at GoHenry agrees. "To encourage spending wisely, allow teens to spend their own money on items they want.

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