Making a few small changes to your usual parenting habits may help more than you think. GoHenry compiled a list of 10 financial skills for children to learn how to save, earn, and spend money.
10 essential money-management skills for children
10 essential money-management skills for children
Parents who help their children understand and use money wisely can also set them on the road to being financially secure adults. As children grow into adults, having base savings to tackle expenses like a first apartment or higher education will make the unpredictability—and the expenses that come with that unpredictability—of life a bit easier to manage.
But a 2016 study from T. Rowe Price finds many parents miss chances in everyday interactions to help their children learn money skills. Making a few small changes to parenting habits may help more than you think. GoHenry compiled a list of 10 financial skills for children to learn how to earn, save, and spend money.
Often, money lessons can be incorporated into everyday activities. For instance, talking about which item on the shelf is the best value turns grocery shopping into a lesson on price comparisons. Or, showing children how they can divide allowance money between savings and spending illustrates basic budgeting. Such early discussions mold their money mindset as they grow. As young adults, from early experiences of earmarking funds between savings and spending, they understand the benefits of having part of their paycheck automatically deposited in savings.
Read on to learn tips and examples to help your child develop skills for better money management later in life.
Using a savings account and compounding money
Since children are not responsible for household budgeting and large financial decisions the way adults are, it can be difficult for them to grasp the concept of money. While planning for the future is typically not on the mind of most children, setting up a savings account early can help them be better prepared for the future. Parents can open a joint account—provided they can for a minor, which depends on statutory laws—where children can access the money in the account with the parents serving as the monitor. The main draw for a savings account would be for earning interest on money in these accounts, but with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting interest rates, earning interest will not be as fruitful as it was in generations past.
Beyond accounts, saving tangible money …….