I have always been good with money. It’s not something I learned, but something innately in me that allowed me to save and give where it was needed.
Our daughter who is 9 is a little different. She loves to shop which is great. Ladies, if you ever need a co-shopper, she is your girl! But I want her to learn that how you use money is a skill and that money can make people happy but can also cause a lot of stress.
I read the barefoot investor years ago and loved the content. I was super excited to find the barefoot investor for kids edition. She took to it like a duck to water, creating her own jobs list and decided how much money she would like to be paid. She also cleared out her closet to gift items and sell others. This was all using guidance from the book and her own initiative.
I love how it’s teaching her to give. Whilst giving comes in many shapes and forms, using money is a great tool to teach these values.
She has created 3 jars using the labels which comes in the book.
• Save
• Splurge
• Give
Today we went to the supermarket for her to spend her GIVE money on cat food, cat toys and treats of the cat rescue. She was just as excited to buy these products for someone else the same way she would have been excited for buying something for herself.
What surprised me with this book is how she just ran with the ideas with no help from either of us as parents. It made me realise that sometimes it’s just planting the seeds without feeling the need to control every step or give our 2 cents’ worth every 5 minutes.
I can’t recommend this book enough to parents. If we can teach a generation of kids the art of giving, then we are setting them up for a better place to live.