5 Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids Money Management

Although high school educators try to make what they teach more relevant to the real world, most classrooms don't usually offer personal finance lessons. Unless they're listening to a podcast or YouTube video, or attending a special program that teaches kids about money concepts, kids usually aren't learning about financial responsibility at an early age. 

Perhaps you'd like to see your child be more prepared to properly handle money when they get older, simply be more successful in business than their peers someday, or even become an entrepreneur. It's a good idea then that you, as a parent, give your kids financial literacy lessons about how to wisely earn, spend, and save money. 

By giving your kids this head start, you may learn valuable lessons yourself that improve your own business and personal money management. Here are five ways to provide financial education to kids :

Don't give your kids an allowance for nothing.  You may have decided to give your young children money even though they haven't done anything in return. I've talked to parent-entrepreneurs who say that this habit of spending money at an early age, despite no performance, sets kids up for potential failure. When they get a summer job or start their career, the kids may have issues with their work ethic. They may believe little needs to be done to get that paycheck.  Instead, prepare them for the real world by assigning chores, tying hard work to financial rewards. Create a task chart for short-term tasks or part-time jobs that can earn your kids extra money.

Make them earn those big-ticket items.

By gifting them with expensive things like $1,000 iPhones or video games, your kids have no incentive to earn or save up for these things. Rather than spoiling them and setting them up for potential credit issues later in life, teach your kids that instant gratification doesn't lead to good money habits.  I know one mother who makes her kids save for the items they want so desperately. In the process, they learn the satisfaction in "earning" the item. While saving, your kids also have more time to think about whether they actually want the item or not. 

Get your kids involved in your business. 

As a small-business owner, you're uniquely positioned to teach your kids about money. Start them off with simple tasks and increase these responsibilities as they add skills. Give them their first paycheck for that help. Your kids might start with things like filing or photocopying and then move to assisting with social-media accounts or services your business offers. 

Along the way, share lessons about making financial decisions, explain concepts like cash flow and taxes, and emphasize the value of saving money for slow periods or unexpected situations. Discuss financial scenarios to illustrate lessons you want them to learn. In the process, you may inspire their entrepreneurial spirit. 

Open a bank account together.

One of the best ways to teach kids about money is to give them a place to store the money besides their piggy bank. You can take them to the bank and open a savings account or even give them their own debit card. This can help them learn financial concepts like what interest rate or compound interest means.  Encourage your kids to create a goal of adding a certain dollar amount to their account consistently. Then, you can review the monthly statements with them and see how their money is growing. They may be surprised to see how much they can save in just a short time. 

Be a financial role model. 

Your kids copy you. That means your financial decision making influences their fiscal responsibility. How you use credit, save money, and manage your bank account gives them a model for how to handle their own money. 

Turning your kids into savers is easier if you have good money habits too. Discuss what it means to have a credit card and the pros and cons of student loans. Explain the value of a good credit score and the impact credit card debt has on other aspects of work and life. Use the time you spend together to "walk the walk" on these money lessons. For example, when you're at the grocery store, talk about your food budget and how much you can spend. You can illustrate the value of a dollar in person at the movie theater or school clothes shopping. This way they see how far--or not--money goes. 

As a parent, you probably want to give your kids all you can. But instead of material items and "money for nothing," gift them with financial literacy. This can help ensure their cash always flows, their debt is low, and their savings and retirement accounts thrive.