Skip to content
View all posts

Money Smarts for Young Children

03/07/2022

A child’s education can never start too young, from music to reading. Money matters are no exception, as good and basic financial habits can take root during childhood and develop with age. Those with young children can educate their kids about the monetary system and how to save, for instance, in a variety of ways, including educational games and teaching with allowances. Another great step parents and guardians can take is enrolling their children in specially designed financial programs for youngsters, including youth-focused savings accounts available in different tiers for minors up to 19 years old. Through these educational experiences, which typically are not provided in conventional schools, adolescents become more prepared for modern adulthood and gain lifelong skills.

Responsibility

Opening a Deep Sea Savers account with both the minor’s name and that of a parent or custodian allows children to begin learning principles of responsibility. By providing a space where kids can contribute to an account, see their collective savings, as well as withdraw money, they come to understand the role personal choice plays. They are free to decide how to handle their account, which also necessitates thought and effort to manage their savings. Children are able to gain a clearer view of the opposing forces of the desire to spend and the desire to save up, and, with time, they can better balance the two. This prepares them for life in general and handling their own affairs as they grow, whether for interpersonal matters of accountability, time management, or for specific adult experiences to come, like paying off mortgages in York.

Such responsibility can also feel like privilege as children grow older. As they begin to mature and show greater interest in controlling aspects of their own lives, this desire for independence can be encouraged and developed through handling their own finances. By successfully reaching goals and having enough discipline to save a certain amount, kids feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, which encourages these practices to continue.

Financial Know-how

Starting from the basics, young account holders can gain an understanding of how to create goals for themselves and the importance of allocating money. These are the building blocks of more complex matters down the road, like taking out student loans or potential business banking in York. Once a child has a grasp on depositing and withdrawing money, they can then start to learn about the role interest plays in the financial world. At a personal level, kids can already see in their own account that small amounts of interest are paid out to them, slowly increasing their funds. As internet services like online banking are widely available today, kids can log on with the help of a trusted adult to see how the amount of interest earned increases as they deposit more money. Through this, savings accounts are cemented in their minds as a great option to keep their money safe as well as learn a little along the way. They also are allowed the opportunity to begin mastering the concept of interest as it relates to both personal investments and debt.

As kids grow into teenagers and actually use the money in their accounts more frequently and independently, First Capital even offers seminars to help instill good spending habits and budgeting skills. This also provides one-on-one interaction with a professional adult, offering the opportunity for kids to develop their confidence and self-esteem for speaking with adults outside their close circle of family and friends.

Interpersonal Development

Children with savings accounts at a credit union will become more accustomed to encountering strangers and professionals working at a financial establishment. This is important for a greater sense of confidence and ability to communicate, both in professional settings and in their everyday lives. Contact with bank professionals from a young age also helps to ensure that as they grow older, kids feel comfortable enough to ask pertinent questions and impart their true needs clearly enough to get the services and assistance they require. This, too, extends beyond the realm of financial institutions, enriching interpersonal skills for school and the grocery store, for instance. Interpersonal interactions at a child’s credit union also builds a sense of trust for the child. They gain a feeling of security and reliance on such places for their future financial needs, such as taking out loans in York.

Gaining a greater understanding of how money works and cycles through society also helps kids to understand a bit about socioeconomic issues. They can have a basic grasp of how impoverished people and those less fortunate than themselves have lesser access to finances and the resources they need. This breeds more compassion and empathy for their fellow human beings. On a less serious note, perhaps, children can also better understand decisions and changes in their household centered around money issues. For instance, they may be able to make better peace with having to move because their family can no longer afford the rent. Kids can also gain insight from their own experiences with a savings account as far as the importance of budgeting and saving for their greater family circle. This encourages more patience and open communication in the relationships between kids and their guardians. These younger members of the family come to see certain sacrifices and compromises have to be made, financially speaking, like setting money aside to pay off mortgage loans in York.

View all posts