As mums and dads we provide for all our children’s needs. What is the importance of children’s allowance? It’s important to introduce this idea at an early age so they can grasp the meaning of what value is placed on goods.
Adults tend to put everything on credit cards or pull out what kids call “plastic” cash on a regular basis to pay for things. Kids don’t get a visual concept of the exchange for goods bought when a plastic card is used to pay for items purchased. Children will believe that money can just appear from thin air. Children only understand that everything they want seem to be paid for unconditionally. I have heard children tell their parents “just pay it on the card mum” when mum tells them they don’t have the money to pay for something the child wants. Kids never had to work to pay for anything they wanted. When children start to understand concepts, it is possible for children to take the responsibility of cash as parents start to educate them of how this world works.
Parents need to explain the reason why they go to work. Explaining to our children how we earn money and how this enables us to use the money to buy and pay for the groceries. This early introduction to money will help our kids avoid the poverty trap. Teaching children to live within their means will help prevent them getting into the credit card debt they won’t be able to repay. Living beyond our means is a problem in today’s society and it doesn’t matter where you come from.
As parents we have the primary duty to our children to give them a realistic picture of our financials from the beginning. Parents should never try to be something they are not. This will only encourage children to live a lie. Living within our means does not mean we have to tell our children they “can’t” have something but rather they can have it “later”.
Pocket money for kids should not be just given unconditionally. It would be unwise of parents to issue freedom of use of this cash when there is lack of understanding of what responsibility is placed on them. Allowance for kids can start any time a parent sees fit. Starting school is a good time to introduce allowances. Here is an environment where children can learn the value of a limited number of items.
The primary lesson in giving pocket money for kids is so they can see the face value in cash. Is the lollipop worth more to the child than a toy car? They need to decide if the lollipop will give them more satisfaction than the toy car they could have bought with that money to depart from it. These experiences in early life will only help pave a clear path for them when they are older to wiser decisions.
Allowance for kids should only be given when we know our kids can grasp what money is and why we need to be wise with it. Children’s allowance should enable us to teach children about savings and spending. We should help our children decision what to do with it by giving children limited choices. Do you want to buy A or B or would you rather save C.
Come to our website for more information. We need to do something today for our kids! Kids Allowance Kids learning about money should be enjoyable and make sure you set goals for them.
