Teaching Children About the Value of Money

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report in Special English.

Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose of an allowance is to teach children about money. Children can learn how to manage money, especially at an early age, when financial mistakes are not very costly. The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance. Parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works. Allowances give children a chance to experience the things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save and maybe even invest it.Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. For VOA Learning English, I'm Laurel Bowman. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 23Nov2012)

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