Train Your Children to Responsibly Manage Their Personal Finances

“Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it (Proverbs 22:6)”. Such adage encourages parents to start training their children, even at a very young age. It is their God-given privilege to impart knowledge to their kids, so that they can prepare them to become responsible and successful individuals, in the future. However, a lot of parents today find it very challenging to discuss the concepts of financial management to their young children. After all, most kids and teen-agers, these days, seem to be too preoccupied with other things, such as their studies, the changes that go on with their bodies, and their relationships with their peers. Still, if you are serious about your responsibility to teach your kids about how they can properly handle their personal finances, then we suggest that you pay close attention to the remainder of this piece. Below, we have enumerated and tackled several pointers that you and your spouse can use to train your children to become excellent managers of their financial resources. Pointers for Training Your Children • Come up with a budget as a family. It is very important that all members of your family be included in developing a household budget. Not only will this activity provide you with the chance to inculcate in your children the importance of living within their means, but it can also serve as a good venue to encourage them to commit to your family budget. Your discussion about the state of your family finances can also help open the eyes of your kids to the strategies that they can use to develop their very own budget. You can teach them how to use simple budgeting software or the more traditional approach in drawing up a financial plan, such as the use of envelops or folders labeled with the expenses that your family incurs on a monthly basis. This way, you can inspire them to imitate what you do and to manage their allowances in the most responsible way they can. • Teach them the importance of saving. Aside from showing them how you allocate funds for each expense, you also need to discuss with them why you set aside cash that goes directly to a savings accounts. Try to relate a personal experience where your savings account served as an excellent source of funds that you used in financing an urgent need, such as a medical emergency. In so doing, you can help your kids realize the importance of saving, and you can encourage them to follow your example. • When appropriate, start discussing with your kids the concept of credit. Finance experts also encourage parents, like you, to tackle the concepts of credit and interest charges with your teen-age kids, before they leave for college. This is important so that they can understand why they should not abuse the lines of credit, that they will eventually apply for. To prepare them in this matter, some parents found it necessary to let their kids use prepaid card accounts. They deposited the allowance of their children in these card programs and they allowed their youngsters to manage their finances on their own. This way, they can practice the things they learned from their parents and they can have first-hand experience that will teach them valuable financial lessons that will stay with them for life. • Encourage them to persist, despite difficulties. Of course, you should expect that your children will encounter problems in managing their personal finances. They might spend more than their allowance for the week, or they might charge so many purchases on their card accounts, and thus incur huge credit card obligations. Still, you need to stress the importance of learning from their experiences. Encourage them to persist, despite difficulties and help them set realistic financial goals for themselves.