Every responsible parent works hard to ensure that their child has a happy and carefree childhood. However, psychologists argue that from an early age children need to be taught the basics of financial literacy. This approach has many advantages. Children will become responsible, not spoiled, hardworking and purposeful. And this, it seems, is the essence of any upbringing. How to teach your child about financial literacy?
- An English proverb says that you shouldn't try to raise your children. You should educate yourself, and children will still be like their parents. Based on this wise judgment, try to be a good example for your child in economic (and not only) matters. So the child will firmly and reliably learn how mom and dad relate to money. And in the future it will be equal to them.
- For children of preschool and early school age, money seems to be something abstract. Therefore, it is unlikely that the excess of desires and needs will be fully compensated. And even if the financial capabilities of the family are unlimited, it is still necessary to set a spending limit. The child must clearly understand what the money is for. When going to the supermarket with your baby, make a list of the products you need to buy. Share this list with your child. Entrust him with a responsible job - to put the products according to the list in the basket. He will immediately understand that the excess must remain on the shelf in the supermarket. And do not forget to reward the kid for understanding and good work. This will stimulate further good behavior. Only the "premium" should be reasonable and moderate. And it's best to practice it every other time.
- Already at an early school age, a child should know what it means to “keep within the budget”. If you give a kid 100 rubles, then purchases should not go beyond this amount. If he wanted to buy some game, book or backpack, then allocate for this, for example, a thousand rubles. Walking around the store, the child will no longer point the finger at a model costing two or three thousand. The same goes for food. The kid must understand that there is a certain amount of money to buy. If, for some reason, "extra" finances remain, he has the right to dispose of them at will.
- When a child moves into adolescence, the question may arise: "Why can't I buy whatever I want?" Now is the time to introduce him to the concept of a monthly family budget and how to replenish it. Be honest with your child, and he will answer you with gratitude and understanding why sometimes people have to deny themselves something.
- The main task of parents in the question of how to teach a child financial literacy is a clear explanation. Money is far from an endless resource. Not an everyday given. They need to be earned by work: physical or mental. For a visual demonstration of this rule, you can offer the child a game. For a job well done, he will receive financial rewards. At an older age, children are usually given pocket money. Their size may depend on the behavior, academic success and other achievements of the child. It will discipline, stimulate the child to be taller, better, etc.
- Using the example of the same pocket money, you can teach children to save and even earn their capital. To do this, divide the money into two envelopes according to the purpose of their use: personal spending and savings. It is not necessary that each envelope contains the same amount of money. Everything will depend on the needs of the child.
