As parents it can be hard sometimes to figure out exactly what to teach out kids. It’s pretty easy when they’re little but as they grow? It isn’t quite as easy. My Emma and I have always had a good relationship and because of that, when I get stumped on what she wants to learn, I simply ask. Such was the case when I went to plan this years homeschool curriculum. Since she’s going into what would be the 5th grade if she were still in public school, I wanted to start teaching her a bit more about managing her own finances as an adult and the other things that go with being financially smart. Needless to say, I also wanted to make things interesting for her, so what did I do? I asked her what she wanted to know.
Teaching your kids about money and everything that goes with it is SO important. Why? Because no one is born bad at managing their finances. In fact? Everyone has the same financial ability as the guy next to them and even the millionaires who live in the ritzy part of town. The difference though? The lessons they learn in life. By starting your kids early on and teaching them in a way that they can understand and want to learn, you’ll give them the head start they need to take their money and make it grow in life. These 5 lessons your kids want to know about money are a great place to start.
1. How to Make It – My Emma’s primary goal at the wise old age of 10 is to make money. She’s a little business woman in the making and I love that about her. She’s always trying to come up with a new way to make money. Yes, some of her ideas could be called “hair brained,” but as she grows, those ideas will someday be a little less goofy and eventually she’ll start her own business and be successful with it.
Resources to Help You Teach It:
Your Own Business Can Be Great – A Money Making Adventure by Bright Girls
Better than a Lemonade Stand – Small Business Ideas for Kids
Capitalism for Kids – Growing Up to Be Your Own Boss
Shark Tank – Create Your Own Shark Tank Business Plan
Berenstain Bears The Trouble with Money
2. How to Make it Grow – One of Emma’s biggest lessons that she wants to learn is how to make the money she does have grow. She recognizes that money has value and that its value can be expanded to make more money for herself. In other words, she wants to learn the basics of investment.
Resources to Help You Teach It:
Growing Money: A Complete (and Completely Updated!) Investing Guide for Kids
The Young Investor: Projects and Activities for Making Your Money Grow
I’m A Shareholder Kit: The Basics About Stocks – For Kids/Teens
3. How to Keep It – Of course as you teach your kids how to earn and grow their money, you’ll also want to help them learn to keep it by creating proper savings habits. With younger kids you have to start slow, but older kids can handle a more in depth program.
Resources to Help You Teach It:
Marvel Avengers Saving the Day Comic Book & Instruction Guide
Save the Money Lesson Plan
Moonjar – Save, Spend, Give piggybank
4. How it All Works – While making it and saving it are great lessons, your kids are also curious as to how it all works from printing to spending. There is so much that you could involve when you’re teaching this that you could literally spend almost a year doing it. Start small and work your way up from there.
Resources to Help You Teach It:
Fractions Money & Decimals – Level 3 (Level 1, or Level 2 are here)
Berenstain Bears Dollars & Sense
The Everything Kids Money Book
National Geographic Kids Everything Money
5. How to Budget It – Budgeting (Six Dollar Family) isn’t just for adults. If your kids have their own money, they should be learning how to budget it early on. If your kids are teens, you might also want to consider letting them open their own checking account too (with guidance) to help them get a good strong foothold.
Resources to Help You Teach It:
Secret Millionaires Club: Warren Buffets 26 Secrets to Success in the Business of Life
The Complete Guide to Personal Finance for Teenagers
These 5 lessons aren’t the only ones that you should teach your kids by far, but they are a great place to start. As your kids (and mine) grow, they will want to know more and more. By keeping up to date on what they want to learn, you’ll be able to personalize what you’re teaching them to the things they want to know…meaning they will be more inclined to learn it.