Teaching Children

Teaching children about money is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. It could save them a lifetime of misery.

Financial education needs to become a part of our national curriculum and scoring systems so that it’s not just the rich kids that learn about money… it’s all of us.

David Bach

There are some subjects that are just not taught in school. Some of the subjects we leave out or don’t apply enough emphasis to is financial responsibility. How we handle our money and are disciplined with our money has some basic steps that will save many a young child some heartache in future years.

One of the most important rules to teach children about money is never spend more than you have. If your child is given an allowance and they want to go to the store and spend their money, they should only spend what they have the money to buy.

If you supply them with any amount that is lacking you have missed out on a couple of valuable lessons and taught a bad one in the process.

Learning the value of waiting for something until you have the money for it can teach children discipline. It has been my experience that if they invest their own money in something and they have to wait another week or two before they get it, they tend to value that purchase more and take care of it better. The toy or whatever they bought will last longer and they will get more enjoyment out of it because of the sacrifice they made to buy it. This is a good opportunity to teach children to save money for what they really want.

When we fill in the gaps for any shortfalls our kids have, we are doing the credit card companies a big favor. We are teaching children that if we don’t have enough money we can borrow some to make up the difference. The buy now pay later lesson has begun.

If you don’t wish for your children to be in debt, teach your children to only spend what they have. That’s good advice for adults as well.

Today, we are going to look at one of the greatest ways to teach your children love, respect, and other values.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV

The apostle Paul wrote a letter of encouragement to a young preacher named Timothy to set an example. Paul knew the young man might be nervous and have some insecurity about his new position. That advice is great for parents as well. Teach children by example.

We are excited about this beautiful child God has blessed us with. The problem is none of these kids come to us with any instruction manual. Paul’s words of encouragement to Timothy were, “Set an example.” Be the example and they will follow.

Thoughts and questions flood our minds as we ponder how we are going to train and teach children everything we want them to know. We can become overwhelmed very quickly just considering the enormity of the task. Most of the answers to all the questions are found in just setting a good example for them to follow.

Children learn the most and the quickest by observation and imitation. They see you doing something they naturally want to try it for themselves.

Teaching children isn’t all about filling their little minds with knowledge. It is about mom and dad living a life of character for their children to imitate.

They hear and see the way you talk, and that is how they talk. If you are saying things in one setting you wouldn’t say with your child present, I would change.

It seems children have the gift of coming into a room at the most embarrassing of moments. And they don’t mind sharing what they heard you say with others.

Children are always watching. They see how you respond to someone cutting you off when you are driving. They see if you are respectful to other adults.

They observe whether you are honest when the clerk gives you back more change than they were supposed to. Children are always watching your life and following your example.

The greatest teaching and the most impacting training of your children goes on when you don’t even realize it. It happens through the everyday experiences they witness from you as they see you live your life.

They see how you love them and that is how they love. They see how you love and respond to others and they do the same. If your love is conditional toward others based on some expectation you have, they will learn that same response.

Whether you realize it or not you are already teaching and training your children. The question is, “Are they learning the things you want them to learn?”

There are many topics we will discuss in the teaching and training of children. The most impacting lessons they will ever learn are the ones they see in you each day. We all want our kids to grow up into the vision we have for them. It all begins and ends with us as parents.

You are already setting an example for your children to imitate.

Is it the example you want them to learn?

Teaching Children About Money

Teach Children by Example