Have you given enough attention to your financial picture?
Learning about money starts at home and in the schools. Some parents start their children young, prior to starting school, however students are taught in pre-school and kindergarten, coins. Each grade level in school introduces some concept about money. Each grade introduces gradual increases of the knowledge and value of money. Now money is taught as coins and is exchanged for something of value. Purchasing items or goods per say. However, we have done a poor job in teaching money and the importance of how money will effect their lives in the future. The future being as you get older the real value and concept of money for living your life and the responsibility and accountability of having a quality of life depends on your understanding of financing. How it can define our independence . This is called finance. THE MANAGING OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY.
Our children see us as adults, go to the grocery store, toy store, retail stores, restaurants (McDonald’s) etc. Do we stop to really teach the bases of our life style. Many parents start teaching children that they have to earn money through doing chores at home. They teach them to save so when they want something they can purchase it. Parents should be teaching them that “money does not grow on TREES”!so to speak. Our parents are suppose to or should provide the basic needs, food, clothes and shelter. DO WE AS ADULTS SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS HOW THAT HAPPENS ?? Which “all” have to do with finances. I feel strongly that we as teachers and parents have failed our children in taking a look at the BIG PICTURE.
Oh yes there are differences in the various neighborhoods. Your more economically well off neighborhoods How do you feel about money? What do you think can change to prevent our children at forty years old still living with parents? How can you help encourage and embrace the concept of a FINANCIAL BIG PICTURE before 18 years of age, when parents tell their children it is time to go ?
There is an article written by Sandee LaMotte on How healthy is your neighborhood for your children. Lots of research but does it address a major part of the issue on financial knowledge?