According to research by scientists, 7-11 years is the optimal age for the formation of the foundations of financial literacy in children. In the future, those who have learned to count money from an early age become more successful than their peers.
Talk as equals
In Russia, it is customary to protect children from financial problems. We try not to discuss wages, the ratio of incomes and expenses, the standard of living in front of children. At the same time, we demand that the child treat ours with understanding: “We have no money for this thing,” “We do not print money,” and so on. To prevent this from happening, the child should be involved in the discussion of the family's financial plans from 7-8 years old. Learn to distribute money correctly.
Specific steps
To teach a child to manage money correctly, it is not necessary to read abstruse books. You can convey to the child in simple language what the family budget is.
- Ask the child to draw: the house in which he will live, what he will ride, where to work and where to rest. Try to calculate how much the accommodation, car, vacation will cost. How much you need to earn to allow all this. And if the salary does not cover everything, what to save on.
- Give illustrative examples. For example, if a child wants a new toy, convert its cost into the number of kinder surprises.
- Go shopping together, after making a list. So the child will learn to separate the desired and the necessary.
- The child wants an expensive toy - let him save money. Take a transparent jar for accumulation in order to observe the growth of "wealth" together with the child.
- Invite your child to make a list of the most original ways to save. Pick a few and try to get things done.
- Conduct a monthly purchase audit with your child. See what purchases were needed, and what the family could easily do without and save on it.
The right to make mistakes
Never punish or reward your child with money. In order for a child to learn how to manage money, he must have personal money. Let him at the age of 10 spend all his pocket money on chocolates and understand that it is impossible to save up for a new bike or smartphone. Than, as an adult, he discovers that he cannot make anything by squandering money.
A responsibility
Before you start giving your child pocket money, discuss what he or she can spend on it. Thus, you define the area of responsibility before him. Start with small amounts - for a treat. As your child distributes money correctly, the amount of pocket money can be increased. At the same time, the area of responsibility and the field for experiments will grow.
So that the child does not endlessly repeat the phrase: "Mom, give me money", he should be taught from an early age how to handle them correctly. Trust your children and involve them in the distribution of the family budget.
