Financial difficulties in a household can create anxiety for children. To minimize these apprehensions, parents should begin communicating about money at an early age to help children grow up to be financially literate adults.  Rather than allowing the youngsters to arrive at their own conclusions, a proactive approach can help the children avoid the mistakes of their parents. Without an open discussion, children will likely grow up lacking financial knowledge.

Suggested actions for developing good money habits among children are:

• teach them to budget since this is the foundation of successful personal finance.
• develop wise spending decisions for wise choices and avoiding impulse buying.
• create an understanding of the rewards of work with a system of work-for-pay chores, which go beyond basic required chores, such as a clean room.
• develop an appreciation for delayed gratification with saving for a goal.

For additional information on wise money management for children, go to:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/smart-spending/the-danger-of-not-teaching-kids-about-cash.aspx?ec_id=cmct_02_comm_PF_mainlink

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/financial-literacy/4-money-lessons-for-children-to-master-1.aspx

Teaching Suggestions

• Have students research various actions that might be taken to better involve children in family money management decisions.
• Have students create interview questions that they might ask when trying to determine if parents are teaching their children wise money management habits.

 Discussion Questions 

1. Describe various problems associated with not involving all household members in family money management activities.
2. What actions would you take to teach young people about wise money management?