One thing all parents know is their kids love to play games. Games turn chores into willing participation. How many times have kids fallen for the “I bet you can’t take out the rubbish in less than 30 seconds” game or the “I bet you can’t finish your beans before me” game? Sadly, these games don’t last forever. And you won’t see “I bet you can’t get home from the party before 10pm” working for the average 16-year-old! But the good news is, there are different ways to get your kids to do things they don’t particularly want to, like teaching them how to save money. I’ve made a list of some of my methods – and the best part, they don’t even realise they’re being taught!
Recruit
Not quite as serious as it sounds, the idea of recruiting your kids to help on different jobs can be a lot of fun – and great for their education. Kids love to feel valued. So if you include them in a job and make them feel like they’re vital to it, they’ll throw themselves at the task. Tell them you need help filling up the car. Tell them how much you want to put in and then make them yell “STOP” when the meter reaches the total. Then get them to pay, by swiping the card and enter the amount owing. They’ll feel important. And they’ll love it.
Addition
To kids, money appears to come out of thin air. You push a few buttons at the ATM and money comes out, or you swipe a card and you’ve paid for your groceries. It’s hard for them to understand the value of money when it seems so readily available. Tell them you have a finite amount of money you want to spend. Ask them all the things you need to buy from the shop and get them to help you construct a shopping list. Then, as you walk around the shopping centre, get them to add up all the things as you go with a calculator (or without, if they’re old enough). At the checkout, get them to try and guess how much it will cost and watch the different items add up on the screen. Apart from being a great lesson in maths, it will teach your kids about budgeting. And it certainly makes shopping a whole lot more fun for them.