Who's Teaching Your Child About Money? - by Valerie Mills

Managing money is one of the most critical skills we must master to function effectively as adults. Yet, although public schools address the subject of money using math examples, teachers just don’t have the time for individual tutoring.

So, just who is really responsible for this critical education?

PARENTS can teach their children “money” lessons as soon as they can count. Otherwise, your toddler may reach his own conclusions about where money comes from. He may decide it does not grow on trees; instead, it comes from an ATM (Automated Teller Machine).

As your kid’s primary financial coach, you’ll show your toddler, young child, teenager, or college-age “adult” child the value of managing his own money. You may find that you are such a talented teacher that your child opens her own profitable business and supports you!

What Are Ways to Teach Your Child?
Toddler
Your toddler can learn to count money as soon as he can talk. Show your child a few coins and introduce simple math facts. He’ll learn the vocabulary and the facts if you make it a game. But a word of caution: discourage eating the coins!

Middle Childhood
Suppose you’re in a restaurant having breakfast, just you and your child. Give him a reward if he can estimate the total bill to the nearest dollar. Hints are allowed!

TeenAger
Provide your teenager with a challenge to figure out how much it costs to run the car every month. Both of you may be surprised!

Young Adult – Before your kid marches off to college, show him your credit card statement. Have him calculate the total amount if it were NOT paid for a few months.

How Do You Know If You’re Successful?
You’ll see the signs that the financial genius is developing in your child. There will be glimpses of recognition that your child understands how money works.
The real payoff comes when as young adults, they handle financial issues confidently based on prior knowledge and experience. You have successfully raised a financial genius.

Copyright 2005 by Valerie Mills

About the Author

Valerie Mills freelances as a sales copywriter/designer (http://v.mills.home.att.net).

She recently published the ebook titled “Practical Ways to Develop Your Child’s Financial Intelligence” available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/1822.html
Contact Valerie by email at parents@teachyourkidsaboutmoney.com

Quotes About Babies...

A period is just the beginning of a lifelong sentence. - Cathy Crimmins

Informative articles:

Best Baby Shower Invitation Ideas - The best baby shower invitation ideas help everyone to have fun without adding stress on the expectant mother. Planning for a newborn can be overwhelming to each family member, so providing the best baby shower invitation ideas with fun and little effort on Mom helps to give the baby shower lasting feelings of friendship and love.

Tips and Tricks for Introducing Solids to Your Baby - Helping your child move from breast breast milk or formula to solids is a milestone for both you and your baby. However, it can be challenging for some parents. Here are some tips and tricks I've compiled for introducing solid foods to your baby. Do remember, however, that you should follow your pediatrician's advice if you're in doubt.

Selecting a Baby Shower Theme: Easy as One Two Three - No aspect of party planning is more crucial and sometimes mind boggling to a baby shower planner than selecting the baby shower theme. There are almost too many ideas available today, and often the host of a party finds themselves suffering apoplexy at the idea of selecting a baby shower theme.

Planning the Perfect Baby Shower - One of the most exciting events an expecting mother looks forward to is celebrating her baby shower. Deciding to Throw a Baby Shower Baby showers are often thrown by a friend or family member. Formal tradition dictates that someone other than a family member throws the baby shower, but this certainly does not have to be the case.

It's Not Always About the Benjamin's, Baby - Often when I receive emails from this list with folks, Telling me that they have discovered their life’s purpose but they don’t have the money to do what they need to start living their purpose. Please, please, please do not let your lack of money stand in the way of you living the life that God has planned for you to live.

Baby Shower Gift Ideas - A few guests can get together and get a big laundry basket. Place in it a long clothes line with outfits, diapers, bibs, etc. pinned to it. It can also be used as a room decoration. It has a bit of everything and something to carry it in! Baby Quilt - here's a great gift from those that love to sew and quilt.

The First Week with your Baby - The first week of your baby's life brings big adjustments for both of you. You are adjusting to being a mother and caring for your baby and your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb. It is a time of great joy -- and possibly immense fear!

How to Pick the Best Name for Your Baby - Expectant parents spend hours preparing the nursery, poring over pregnancy and delivery books and going to childbirth classes. Yet surprisingly, many decide their child’s given name within a matter of minutes, often spending more time selecting the right car seat or stroller. What should parents-to-be consider when choosing a baby name?

What does that new baby really need? - What your baby needs and may not need. There are so many gadget out on the market, so many cute little out fits, so many baby thing that we think we need, so many we don’t need. Simply Moms offers you a list to get you started and steer you clear of the don’t needs.

More articles about child care and baby care: 1, 2, 3, 4

Home: Play & Toys: Mums: Safety & Training: Keeping Warm: Bodysuits: Baby Clothes