Kids Don’t Have Money, Why Should They Learn About It So Soon?!

Kids Don’t Have Money, Why Should They Learn About It So Soon?!

Mastery.

Mastery is the word I am choosing to use here because overall, that is the answer to the question in the headline. Kids should learn about money early so that they can master the craft and mastering something takes time.

If you look up the definition of Mastery you will find two meanings to the word:

1. comprehensive knowledge or skill in a subject or accomplishment.

2. control or superiority over someone or something

That is exactly what I want for my kids when they think about, talk about, or have to deal with money. I want them to be masters. I don’t want them to feel worried, scared, overwhelmed or upset when it comes to dealing with money. I want them to feel powerful. I want them to know they have knowledge and be well-practiced in the subject.

The word ‘money’ can be a sickening thought for those who fear it. For people who have never felt like they had enough of it, it can evoke negative emotions. People who have a positive outlook on money, however, usually love the word. They get it! They understand it. It works for them and they have, you guessed it, mastered it. Income? No problem. Where to invest? They have a few ideas. How to save it? Just ask, they have a system! These people, in my humble opinion, have the right idea. These wealthy folks aren’t just wealthy in their bank accounts, they are wealthy with knowledge. They know that there is no escaping money and all of its grips that it has on our lives. So, instead of running from it, ignoring it and just trying to make more of it, they LEARN about it. They seek to understand it. They learn how to make it work for them instead of working for it and then they MASTER it. That is what I want for my kids.

Money mastery does not come over night. It takes time to build knowledge and confidence. On top of that, a person who tries to master money and make it work for them as an adult faces real hardships. Mortgages, jobs, time constraints, kids, car payments, grocery bills, student loans and credit card debt are a just a few of the hurdles that need to be overcome when you are trying to save and invest as adult. However, what if you were told that you needed to save a specific percentage of your income when you were a kid? What if you carried that knowledge into adulthood and already that habit in place? What if you learned about how to split up the money you got from a Christmas card or a birthday present so that you could save, give AND spend that money? What if someone taught you the difference in an asset and a liability when you were young so you knew which one you were buying as an adult? Wouldn’t that be life-changing?! Wouldn’t that knowledge help you to make important life decisions, like should I buy a new car or a used one? Should I rent an apartment or buy a duplex? How much money do I really need to make at this new job? Instead of squeezing our eyes tight and taking the plunge into life and hoping it all works out the way we want, what if we already had a foundation to start building our lives on? What if the decisions we made as young adults were thought about well before we were 17 or 18 years old? AND what if, money wasn’t necessarily an issue in making those life decisions? What if the one leaving the nest, already had a nest egg that he not only helped build but that he knew how to manage and continue to grow?!

That’s my dream. I want my kids to grow up understanding the pulse of our society. I want them know about the War of 1812, how to solve for ‘x’ and all the elements on the periodic table just like what everyone else learns about in school, but, I also want them to understand the one thing that makes our society tick, the one thing that can make or break our society, the one thing that everyone needs to thrive and survive in our current culture. I don’t want them to fear money, I don’t want them to need money, I don’t want them to despise or obsess over money. I want them to MASTER money so they can focus on LIFE itself.