I know so many parents out there are struggling with the kids kicking off the new school year. Whether you’re sending them off or doing it all from home, there are many things to teach your kids, but is learning about money one of them? In the wake of a “new normal” after the second semester of 2020 left many of us wondering what the heck we need to do, we’re suddenly finding ourselves playing the role of the teacher, needing to fill in the gaps of the curriculum ourselves.
But thankfully we live in a digital age where homeschooling tips are readily at our fingertips. There are lots of ideas and resources out there to help you level up your homeschooling game—if not to keep you sane, for the sake of the kids.
For starters, this is a great opportunity to teach your kids important life lessons that are often left out of traditional classroom education. There’s a huge gap in schooling when it comes to learning about money. Think about it: kids just watch their parents swipe a plastic card left and right. Or, let’s be honest, enter numbers onto a website and voila! They get stuff in return. Cool, right? Yeah, until you find yourself still paying off tens of thousands of dollars in school loans a decade after graduating…
So, props to these five Instagram parents for staying ahead of the game and sharing these helpful homeschooling tips. They’re using these early years to teach their kids about the very real (and important!) world of personal finance.
Meredith | @thislifeonabudget
I always looked at lemonade stands as a great excuse to get kids outside in the summertime. Budget-savvy mom of three, Meredith, saw it as a great opportunity for her daughter to learn about money and the basics of entrepreneurship. In this post, she explains how she used the classic lemonade stand as a teachable moment, helping her daughter understand the concept of charging enough to cover costs as well as how to stay on a budget when putting together her “business” plan. I don’t know about you, but I do not look that happy when I’m talking about money. If only Meredith had explained entrepreneurship to me like she did to her daughter…
Nathalie | @thewellthymom
This Connecticut mom is insistent and intentional when it comes to teaching her three daughters foundational life skills and learning about money. In this post, she explains her approach to teaching her girls the meaning of being rewarded for the time and work they do. Instead of using allowance, Nathalie and her husband use “commission money” to pay their daughters for certain tasks they complete. This way, they are able to set financial goals and understand the work it takes to achieve them. I mean, look at that smile! That’s one happy girl on a payday. The homeschooling tips from this momma will go a long way when your child is learning about money.
Meghan | @familyfinancemom
Meghan was once a hedge fund analyst, but now she spends her time teaching others (including her kids!) how to live a financially sustainable life. In this post, she has an epic response to her 8-year-old daughter’s comments regarding difficult economic situations. As her daughter was reading about the Great Depression, Meghan saw an opportunity for learning about money and to discuss historical economic struggles and how we recovered from them. Rather than keeping kids in the dark about economic hardship, reading, discussing, and referencing history are just some of the homeschooling tips to help your kids understand what is going on.
Kat | @ezralennoxandme
Kat is a mama of two who uses her social platforms to give her followers a glimpse into her life raising her adorable kids. While she doesn’t focus on financial literacy, she did post about her creative approach to teaching her son about money. She labeled four jars—save, spend, give, and invest—as a hands-on activity that shows her son what people can do with their money. Not only does it provide him with a clear visual of money distribution, but it also opens the doors for some important conversations and learning about money management! I love this idea so much. I mean, think about what you could do to personalize these a little, adding some fun stickers or a little paint. I might just have to go invest in some jars myself…
Tina | @weliveonabus
First of all, this family lives on a bus. So! Cool! Second of all, these parents have a super unique way of ensuring their kids are learning about money and understanding the concept of debt. In this post, Tina, mother of two, explains how her kids are “in debt” and need to pay her back. Whaaat? So here’s how it works, when the kids break or lose something and don’t have their own money to replace it, they have to earn money to pay their parents back… with interest! While this may be unconventional, Tina swears by it. After all, it’s a great way to teach her sons about credit cards and the realities of debt while the stakes are low. It’s safe to say there are no freebies in this family!
And once again, the internet saves the day! Simple homeschooling tips go a long way in learning about money and its complexities. It can be tough going the extra mile outside of school, but it is a great opportunity to spend a little more time with your kids and teach them the things you wish you were taught at their age. And remember, perhaps most important of all: no matter what you’re going through, know you are never alone.
