Video Transcription:

• How can you teach your children to handle money responsibly?
• What are the strategies that successful parents use when teaching their kids about money?
• Do you pay kids for doing their chores?
• Should you remove allowances if they are acting poorly?

These are great questions. And once that parents often ask or inquire about. While your answers may differ from mine, I encourage you to consider the approach outlined below.

My recommendations are based upon years of working with families who have developed successful strategies for dealing with money.

1. Never Buy Responsible Behavior.

It is a mistake to pay children for completing basic responsibilities around the house. If you use allowance as a tool to “purchase behavior”, you always end up purchasing their compliance. It’s not good. Your kids will never learn to “own” their behavior. You will be purchasing the appearance of responsible behavior. Instead of this being your signal or responsibility, it is simply a signal that your parenting toolbox is empty. And that you can pay for made service. It will into generalize to future patterns.

2. Commit to a Reasonable Allowance Around 4th to 5th Grade Not
Contingent on Good Behavior.

I strongly encourage you to give the kids an allowance that does not depend on their behavior. Let them know that they’re getting an allowance because you love them and you want them to learn to take care of their own money. Decide on a reasonable amount of spending money for your children and include monies for treats that you might typically buy them. For example, if you normally buy the kids some juice when you’re getting gas, include that
portion in their allowing. As they get older, include their lunch money in their allowance. Include some extra spending money for the “small stuff” they often want and you pick up for them. Let them know that it’s their money to manage each week and watch them learn from their choices. Begin early on to allow children to experience the consequence of good judgment as well as poor judgment in the use of their money.

3. Open a Checking Account for Your Kids and Teach Them to Manage It.

Consider opening a checking account for the kids and consider putting their allowance in the bank. Teach them how to get their monies and when they want to purchase something they can write a check. This is a remarkably practical and powerful way to learn about basic money management. Set aside time weekly to help your kids balance their checkbooks and to discuss how might they spend their resources in today’s world. They will not only learn to balance their checkbook but also learn to gain access to their records via their computer.

4. Open a Savings or Investment Account for Your Children and Teach Compound Interest.

When you open a savings account, sit down and show your kids the effect of compound interest. Make sure you repeat this regularly and teach them how the bank will pay them to store their money there. If they start saving at an early age, show them how easy it will be to have abundant resources by the time they reach the middle stages of their life.

As an incentive to their savings program, let them know that you will match every dollar that they put and keep in their savings account with a dollar from Mom and Dad. Show them the power of this as they look ahead to the next 10, 20, 30, even 40 years. If you haven’t played with a compound interest calculator, you may want to do this with your children. Especially as they move into adolescence.

5. Never Model Impulse Buying.

When you model for children a willingness to buy impulsively, you are teaching them to do the same. In every arena of life, you simply can’t escape what you model. If you want them to make wise purchases with poor thought and consideration about the importance of the purchase, make sure that you model this. Remember, your kids are always learning and you are the primary teacher.

6. Buy the Book: Rich Dad Poor Dad “What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money by Robert T. Kiyosaki.

Mr. Kiyosaki has written several books under the general title of “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. They’re all excellent books. However, the book written for teaching children about money is an excellent primer on this subject. It’s a great place to start.

In closing, if you find yourself struggling with how to teach responsible patterns of behavior without paying for it, I encourage you to carefully review the materials on my website at www.TerrificParenting.com.

The tools of effective parenting are much more powerful than money. And the results, are much more enduring. As always, I encourage you to email me with your feedback at [email protected].