We as parents put our kids on certain paths. The path to good hygiene, "always brush your teeth before bed", the path to being well mannered, "remember your please and thank you", or the path of being sympathetic "you say sorry if you hurt someone", the list goes on. The path that we tend to forget about especially with young children is the path to good money sense. We all want our kids to be good with money, but what does this mean and how can we help them achieve this?
It is always advisable to get your kids interested in savings. You can open account for kids, which let them learn more about banks and develop the habit of saving. Since banks account for kids is not so profitable in comparison to other types of accounts, many banks do not offer it. Nevertheless, you can try community banks in your locality to open an account for your children.
Steps to open a banks accountNo matter how much your child will earn as an adult, he or she will be well served by learning to save money at an early age.
It will be hard to watch your child make saving versus spending mistakes, but learning tough lessons early on will ensure the concepts sink in while the stakes are still relatively low. On your end, learn about
starting a college fund for your child.
Family Matters
Age appropriate transparency about finances can help strengthen your relationship with your kid. Take on a group project like painting the house together so the whole family earns a reward such as a trip to a theme park using the money saved.
Early on, establish an allowance that is tied to chores with a base earned for completing the basics plus extra funds for doing extra tasks.
Forming Good Savings Habits Early in Life
For preschoolers, kids can begin grasping the concept of saving to buy things. Cash can visually
illustrate money concepts, so use glass jars for your child to have separate amounts to save, spend, and give. Talk to your child about the percentage that will go in each jar. When money is earned or cash gifts are received, add the money to the jars so he or she can watch it grow. As money is taken out, keep records of expenditures with your child. We're here to help with your individual situation, so ask us about the best time to open a savings account for your child.
To learn the importance of setting savings goals, let your child pick out a toy, making sure that it's something he or she will need to save for during a timeline of a few weeks. Take money out of the spending jar to buy the toy so your child can see the consequences of spending firsthand. At the store, let your child pay the cashier.
In the early elementary school years, begin to include your children in family finance decisions by talking about things like buying generics versus brand names or other ways you save money. Share specific strategies with your child to let him or her see your thought processes.
By the time your child is a tween, he or she can begin to understand compounded interest. Use
investor.gov to show specific examples. This is a good time for your child to choose a larger ticket item to save for so that he or she can start deciding whether or not the short-term sacrifices are worth the long-term goal.
In high school, saving funds for college should be an ongoing discussion. For each college under consideration, search the school's website for the net price calculator so your child can see expenses in addition to tuition costs. While the costs may appear daunting, you can also use this opportunity to begin showing your child estimates of higher salaries for college grads as well as the rewards of saving for long-term goals.