A few weeks ago, I heard an interview on the radio with Beth Kobliner, a former member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans. She was discussing a book she had just written called "Make Your Kid a Money Genius (even if you're not)." Intrigued, I decided to order a copy of the book. In it, I found that she shared some incredibly helpful perspectives on how to teach kids financial responsibility. The book reminded me of the lessons I had learned about money from my parents, and it made me wonder about conversations we as an Armstrong community are having with our children and students to teach them these skills.
In the interview, Beth shares that by the age of 7, children have learned a good deal of their habits related to money. That makes these early elementary years incredibly important for building a financial skill set.
Having just finished Beth's book, I wanted to reach out to you as Armstrong parents and guardians, to hear your thoughts and experience talking to your children about money. I'm wondering:
- How do you talk to your children about money?
- How do you teach financial responsibility? Do your children have an allowance, a bank account, perhaps even an investment portfolio?
- What is something you want your children to know about financial responsibility that you wish your parents had told you?
- What role do you think a school should have when it comes to teaching financial responsibility?
I'm hoping to start a dialogue around this topic using the comments section of this post. Please consider sharing your thoughts on the above questions.
Also, if you are interested in listening to the interview with Beth Kobliner, you can hear it by pressing play on the audio bar below (it's about ten minutes long).
Sincerely,
David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: (508) 836-7760 Email: [email protected]