| the growing calls for increased financial literacy | | | | Therefore, in addition to introducing your children to |
| programs for kids, it’s important to consider | | | | ideas of saving money, budgeting or where money |
| the essential elements to developing a prosperity | | | | comes from, spare a thought to consider the longer |
| consciousness as well as the mechanics of how to | | | | term implications of your words and actions. |
| calculate interest or what constitutes good credit or | | | | Surveys have found for example, that a majority of |
| bad. | | | | people keep their bills in the kitchen, which is the |
| When thinking of money and kids, it is certainly | | | | most frequently used room in the house. Kids will pick |
| important for teenagers to be prepared for the | | | | up on the negative association with bills as they see |
| complex and occasionally predatory world of easy | | | | you sorting through piles of unwanted paper. |
| credit and the pressures of mass marketing, yet | | | | They will also detect any stress or negative feelings |
| financial literacy can and should start with younger | | | | about money from conversations bemoaning the |
| children and parents have a crucial role to play. | | | | price of groceries or the depressed housing market. |
| Brain research has revealed that children between | | | | Clearly you need not go around putting on an act or |
| the ages of 2-9 are predominantly in the slow moving | | | | a show for your children, but in the same way as |
| Theta, or Alpha brain states. These are the same | | | | many parents want to protect their children from |
| states as adults enter during hypnosis, day dreaming | | | | bad language or profanities; surely they need the |
| or meditation. Whilst between these ages, children | | | | same protection from influences which could damage |
| are being imprinted with the values and beliefs that | | | | their financial futures? |
| they may well hold on to for the rest of their lives. | | | | Try and maintain a positive attitude and approach to |
| This is even more apparent when observing a child | | | | influencing your children about money. You could for |
| watching TV. They can completely ‘zone | | | | example encourage the spend, share and save |
| out’ and be oblivious to anything around | | | | approach, where any allowance, gifts or earnings are |
| them. In such a suggestible state what are they | | | | divided into three areas, one to spend, one to save |
| absorbing? Is it any wonder when they nag you | | | | and one to share. This approach gives a child |
| incessantly for the latest toy, sweet or video game | | | | responsibility for saving their own money and teaches |
| which they have see in the commercials? | | | | the consequences of spending versus saving or |
| As a child did you grow up hearing statements like, | | | | sharing. |
| “Money doesn’t grow on | | | | As they grow older the saving could be based in an |
| trees” or “Money is the root of all | | | | interest bearing account, with some sort of treat or |
| evil”? If so, statements such as these are | | | | reward being associated with a trip to the bank to |
| likely to be hardwired into your core beliefs and it is | | | | make a deposit. Imagine how your attitude to money |
| these beliefs which affect your attitude, your actions | | | | would be different if as a child you were rewarded |
| and ultimately your results. | | | | every time to saved some money. |