Money-Smart Kids

Investing isn’t something we’re taught in school. In fact, finance in general usually isn’t taught in school. I don’t blame the schools, because most teachers don’t feel qualified to teach such a class. There are plenty of other reasons why finances aren’t taught in schools.

I see headlines on blogs all the time like, “giving your kid an allowance is the worst thing you can do.” I’ve also seen headlines promoting the opposite. I’ve seen things like, “stop paying your kids for chores,” as well. And I’ve read all of them. They all have something in common.

I grew up in the “we don’t talk about money” generation. Actually, it seems like that’s been every generation. My parents didn’t talk about money, but their parents really didn’t talk about money. Somewhere along the way it became the norm to keep kids in the dark about the family finances.

Board games. What better way to connect as a family, have some fun, and learn a thing or two? Well, the games on this list may aim to teach your kids more than a thing or two.

Smarter, not harder. That’s the goal, right? In investing, smarter can mean a lot of things, but one of the easiest ways to invest smarter is to invest younger. These are eight reasons it’s so important for your kid to start investing as early as possible. There are many more reasons I’m sure, but I feel like eight is enough.

One teacher can make an everlasting impact on a child’s life. Think back to your days in school. I’ll bet you had a good teacher—hopefully several—you still remember to this day. A child spends more time in class than at home, on a typical school day… if we don’t count sleeping (at home, not in class). The time our child spends in school—the most developmental years—is valuable.