Naturally, as often as possible and in a normal way – this is the best way to talk to children about money
- Talking to children about money is important and necessary. However, one in ten parents does not discuss money with their children at all, and only one in three does so regularly.
- As many as 37% of parents say they receive difficult questions about finances from their children.
- Parents need knowledge and educational tools on finance – according to a study carried out on request of Santander Bank Polska, within the framework of the financial education project Finansiaki.
Even toddlers wonder what finances are. As many as 30% of parents of children under 7 admit that their child asked them a question they couldn’t answer. And among parents of teenagers aged 15 to 17, nearly one in two heard an economic question they didn’t know the answer to.
Pocket money – the financial ABC
The best way to educate children financially is through conversation, and also through learning to manage their own money in practice, in other words, through pocket money. According to data, 66% of children in Poland receive pocket money. Interestingly, children usually have to wait until the age of 8 to receive regular pocket money.
On average, children aged 8-14 receive PLN 80 a month, and those aged 15-17 – PLN 135. It is worth remembering, however, that the amount should be adapted to the child’s needs and the parents’ income.
Pocket money is a great pretext for regular conversations about finances. However, 66% of parents find it most common to talk to their child about money during shopping, when the child asks for something they don’t want to buy. And in 55% of families, the most common occasion to talk about money is when planning a big purchase, such as a computer or a smartphone.
Financial education needed – for parents and children
The results of a survey commissioned by Santander Bank Polska show that parents need educational and training materials on economic issues, although they believe that their knowledge of personal finance is sufficient to educate their children. However, the older they get, the more often adults are confronted with difficult questions.
Most children don’t start learning about personal finance until they are of school age. It’s around then that parents begin to discuss the topics of planning joint expenses and saving. However, it is only with secondary school students that adults begin to broach the subject of money in an intentional way. However, it is a good idea to start talking to children about money from an early age. It is important to adapt the conversation to the age of the child.
Building financial awareness among children is an important part of their education. It will help them in the future to move freely in the world of money and make responsible decisions. This is the aim of the "Finansiaki" programme. On finansiaki.pl adults will find free educational materials, such as games, quizzes and animations, which explain many aspects of finance to children in a simple way. Our research indicates that parents believe that playing games together is the best way to initiate a conversation about money, and various tutorials and webinars can be a valuable help.
It is with parents in mind that Santander Bank Polska has prepared a webinar called ”The ABC of Finance or How to Talk to Your Children About Money”. The persons invited to participate were psychologist Dr Agata Trzcińska, Joanna Jaskółka, author of the blog „You Only Have One Mother” and Sylwia and Grzegorz Kolpuci, authors of the blog „Nomadic Family”.
It is easiest to talk about money with children in everyday situations. This could be a visit to the shop or bank. It is important to answer your child's questions honestly, using terminology appropriate to their age. Another very helpful way to build financial awareness is to offer pocket money. It is worth treating it as a tool for economic education, as it is the best way for the child to learn how to manage their own budget.
In the webinar, parents can find out, among other things, why financial education is so important, why they should give their children pocket money and how to teach them to save. In addition, the webinar contains a lot of advice and ideas on how to effortlessly introduce children to the world of finance using everyday situations. In the video, experts also explain why it is not a good idea to pay for good grades, cleaning or throwing away rubbish. And as indicated by the results of a study commissioned by Santander Bank Polska, as many as 35% of parents have ever rewarded a child for helping with housework, and 28% for good grades.
The video can be viewed at https://businessinsider.com.pl/twoje-pieniadze/jak-rozmawiac-z-dziecmi-o-finansach-podstawowa-wiedza-o-pieniadzach/4c921bp.
More educational materials are available at www.finansiaki.pl.
In addition, a dedicated section (https://kobieta.onet.pl/finansowe-abc) was created in partnership with Onet containing resources to help parents start conversations with their children about finances. The site includes a quiz and articles on topics related to financial education for children, such as how to teach children to save or manage money.
