Parents’ Money Management Affects Children

Children learn by watching others. Who do they watch more than their parents? As parents, we need to be careful to put our best foot forward in matters of money in order to give our kids a healthy start in that arena.

A parent that spends money today without giving thought to tomorrow will almost certainly teach their child to do the same. Using money as a means to an end is not a good lesson to pass on. Money is important because it is a necessary tool of life. Money does not turn a house into a home, but it does keep a roof over one’s head and food on the table.

Money that is handled with respect is money that will be around for more than one day. Lack of money is the reason why many couples in a marriage argue. Parents that come from two different backgrounds when it comes to money will likely butt heads. Before the children become adversely affected, the parents need to talk out their differences and come to a common viewpoint on how to handle the family finances.

Learning to save takes time even for parents. We didn’t all grow up with money-savvy parents. But now it’s time to break the cycle of overspending and debt. Parents can take a money management class or read a book on the subject. As they learn, so will the children. The information can be shared at family meetings.

If the family doesn’t have a financial plan, start one. Gathering the family together to do this is another way to include children in financial decisions. Being part of a family meeting shows children the role money plays in the home. Family meetings can be a place to voice any concerns about money and to find answers together.

As a child, my family didn’t have a lot of money. When I was old enough to have a job, I would spend my money on whatever I wanted. I didn’t want to live a life where I was deprived of things because I didn’t have money. I worked hard, but spent every cent.

This carried over into my adult life and created problems when I got married and started a family. My parents didn’t do anything wrong, there just could have been a few more “right” things done. We never talked about money. It was a “grown-up” thing and children weren’t included. I went with what I perceived to be the truth when it came to money.

It is better to explain money matters to your children instead of letting them draw their own conclusions. That doesn’t mean that each decision you make needs to be run by them first. But when major money changes occur, include the children in the discussions so that they know what is going on and how the family plans to deal with the situation.

Poor money choices, even for the right reasons, can affect the way children deal with money. You may think that the children aren’t watching, but they are — carefully. Make use of every opportunity that you have to arm them with the tools that produce good money management decisions.