Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, your favorite day of the week! 🤑
Right about now, many people (I'm people!) are knee-deep in holiday-related logistics: scrambling to buy last-minute gifts, finalizing travel plans, mapping out the menu, and sending out a final round of "let's circle back in the new year" emails to colleagues and clients. Money, believe it or not, is part of the scramble too.
That's because whether your family celebrates Christmas or simply spends time together at the end of the year, your kids are learning about money right now — even if you never sat down to teach them. Your tone, your stress level, and the way you talk about spending can stick with your kids for a lifetime.
The most lasting financial lesson young people are likely to absorb isn't what you spent, but how money felt as they were growing up. Let's get into what kids are really learning about money this holiday season.
Money Stat
114
The average American parent passes along 114 pieces of financial advice a year, but children only hear about half of it, according to a 2024 study by Wise, a global fintech company. Translation: Lectures about money don't always resonate with your kids.
What really sticks is what your kids see you do every day. They're looking at how you handle bills, react to unexpected expenses, or decide when to splurge and when to save. The takeaway? Your daily financial choices are lessons in disguise.
Parents and mentors have enormous power when it comes to shaping healthy financial habits. By modeling thoughtful spending, saving intentionally, and talking calmly about money, you can turn everyday moments into lifelong money lessons that your kids will think about well beyond the holidays.
Get in the Zone
Money skill: Money is about choices, not stress.
Why it matters: Kids absorb lessons about money even when you're not giving formal instruction. Offhand comments like, "This is killing our budget!" teach that money equals anxiety. Meanwhile, "We planned for this" models intentional decision-making. If young people learn early that money is about choices, not fear, that sets the stage for financial confidence as they get older.
Try this: Use language to positively shape your child's attitude about money.
💰"We can't afford that." ➡️ "That's not how we're choosing to spend our money right now."
💰"This is killing our budget!" ➡️ "We planned for this season."
💰"You're lucky to get this." ➡️ "We enjoy giving this to you."
💰"We don't have any money left." ➡️ "We've already set aside money for what matters most."
💰"Stop asking for expensive things." ➡️ "Let's think together about what we can buy that's in our budget."
These subtle shifts in the way you talk about money can have a big impact on how children internalize financial habits.
Money Talks
You don't need perfect finances to model healthy money habits. In fact, how you respond to financial mistakes determines whether kids, teens, and young adults learn problem-solving skills or develop anxiety around money. Here are three ways to talk with young people about money mistakes and accountability:
1️⃣ "Mistakes happen. What can we learn from this situation?" This opens the door to reflection without blame. It also signals to young people that mistakes aren't failures. Instead, they provide information that they can learn from.
2️⃣ "We can help you think through how to handle this differently next time. What would you try?" This reinforces support and responsibility. You're not fixing the problem for them. You're helping them build the skills they need to handle it on their own.
3️⃣ "Let's brainstorm together how to approach a money challenge so it doesn't happen again." This turns a setback into a collaborative exercise that shows kids that money challenges can be managed and are worth talking about.
Again, relax — your kids don't need to see flawless finances. But they do need to see that money can be talked about openly, thoughtfully, and without fear.
If you're looking for support with those conversations, I offer youth financial literacy workshops in language that kids, teens, and young adults actually understand and can relate to. I'd love to bring a workshop to your school, organization, or community! Reach out to me to learn more.
Loose Change
🪙 The penny is a goner. Will phrases that include the word "penny" take a hit too? (I don't know why I thought a phased-out coin would have its own emoji. Clearly, it does not).
🔎 Try searching for unclaimed property in your name and you may turn up a little extra cash to jumpstart your savings goals for next year.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. Thanks for reading!
If you know someone who cares about youth financial literacy, share this newsletter with them. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, please subscribe here.
'Til next time,
Audrey
Founder/Certified Financial Education Instructor
The FinLit Zone
600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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