Kids stressed because of your finances?

[Kimmumum]

My boys are 15 and 11. I have heard them say they need to go to Dick's for spikes or whatever but they need to find a coupon first. lol They'll want to go to Best Buy but will look for coupons or even ask friends if they have any. lol I love it but I find it really funny!!! They think nothing about spending money if it is a place that they never have coupons or rewards dollars at but at least they are trying

 

[disykat]

Like some others here, my kids have always been exposed to saving money. It's just what we do. They know it's not because we don't have money, it's just that we like to save it so we can use it in other ways.

Now they are teens. One saves his money and has since he was little bitty, one spends it if he has it but is now starting to talk about purposely saving.

Neither one worries, but both can articulate the value of a dollar and weigh how they want to spend it. I do worry that they will be anxious about college expenses. Part of me wishes they could be blissfully unaware, but I know that wouldn't be good for them either.

 

[sqerlygirl]

I feel that I have the responsibility of teaching my daughter the smart way to use money...the schools certainly aren't doing it. I think if Personal Finance were a required course, we wouldn't be in this mess right now.

My dd is 4...when she receives money, she puts some in her bank and saves some for a special item. She knows we don't worry about money...we save and spend wisely. I love to spend $$ and I do...but we practice patience and avoid impulse purchases that we end up regretting.

I have always told her we are not choosing to spend our money on " ". She is 4 and she gets it.

I also don't watch the news with dd in the room...I mean, is the media really giving us usefull info to improve our situation or fueling a fear of how bad it might get?

 

[AmyMama2AvaNtheo]

My kids are young, only 2 and 4. I make sure not to mention any type of financial worries we are having infront of them. They dont normally ask for many things and if they do, I will tell them it is either X or X and that would be a reward, not just a gimmy.

My DD recently recieved money for Easter. Instead of putting it into her piggy bank or wanting to take it to the bank, she wanted to slip it into the *disney bucket* where we have been saving money for souvenirs.

 

[davidsprincess]

When I am out at the store with my 3 year old and she asks if she can get something I just ask her if she has brought her money along. When she says "no" then I just say, "Well then I guess you can't get it and did you really need it anyways?"

 

[emma'smom]

I've started trying to say something like "If we don't spend $$ on this, we can save it for our cruise/vacation/whatever." I'm hoping they get the message that we can just run through money (even on little things) because it can add up to paying for bigger things. Also, I want them to understand that vacations are expensive and they are lucky to be able to go on them. So having them give up the little toy or drink water with a dinner out means they are contributing to the "vacation fund".