Teaching Our Kids Through Ourselves

Even though my financial journey alongside my husband has not always been easy. Today when we look back we can laugh about it. However, I want things to be different for my kids. I want them to learn the value of hard work and the importance of family like my husband and I did growing up. But when the time comes, I also want them to leave our home with financial confidence. I openly talk to our kids about our financial hardships, past and present ones. I encourage them to ask us money related questions. I have told them that once they get older and are able to get a job, they will be paying some amount of rent. Perhaps not much, maybe $50 or $100. This isn’t because we want to take advantage of them. It’s because we want them to start building the skills of managing a household. When I got married at the age of 20, I realized it was my first time actually managing so much money. And even though I felt like I was prepared, actually implementing what you know isn’t always so easy. Don’t be ashamed to tell your kids about your life and your mistakes. We all have something of value to teach someone else, and who better if not our own children. If we can make their lives a little better with some of our knowledge, why not?