Oh, the holidays. It’s the most wonderful time of the year — to spend all your money. Of course, that’s not how you want it to go. You want to set a budget and stick to it. At least, you want to try hard to make sure you do. Whether you’re learning to do it yourself or you’ve already mastered it, it’s a great idea to help your children learn as well. Follow these tips to teach your kids about managing money this holiday season.
1. Have the Discussion
Pretty much everything you do with your kids should start with a conversation. Children, and adults for that matter, tend to learn new material better when you lay a proper foundation. In many cases, that means talking to your young person about what’s coming. This approach is especially useful when it comes to financial literacy for kids. Learning to manage money is not always easy, so set expectations well in advance.
Ease your kids into a conversation about financial literacy this holiday season by opening up the topic at a good time for you both. You’ll want to be rested and ready to have a casual but critical talk about money. Mention the coming holidays and your wish for your kids to enjoy getting gifts for their friends and loved ones. Assure your kids that you want to set them up for success by establishing a budget and planning for reasonable spending. Then, schedule a time to sit with your kid and get started.
2. Look at Funds and Establish a Budget
When the scheduled time arrives, have your kid bring their piggy bank, purse, or savings account balance to the table. Bring paper and a pencil and sit together to review your child’s funds and establish a budget for the holidays. At this point, you will also want to decide if you plan to contribute to your kid’s budget. Say, for example, that you want your child to buy gifts for the other parent, siblings, or grandparents. You might want to pitch in for a nice gift “from your child.”
Now is when you’ll discuss budgeting with your kid. Talk to them about wanting to have money left over after the holidays for other spending. Remind them that “it’s the thought that counts” and that gifts don’t have to be expensive. Together, you can come up with a total amount that makes sense for you and your kids. Finally, assure your kids that they will feel incredibly successful after sticking to a budget.
3. Make a List and Determine Spending Amounts
Now that you’ve established a budget, you’ll want to make a list of people your child wants to give gifts to. Be sure to include everyone, from parents and other family members to friends and neighbors. Talk with your kids about how it can feel overwhelming having so many people to give to. Reassure your child that not everyone on the list requires a giant, expensive gift.
Then, break the budget down into spending amounts. You can set smaller amounts for people with whom your child is less familiar, like neighbors. You’ll likely want to set higher amounts, and perhaps contribute yourself, for immediate family members. This list, complete with amounts, will help you open up the next part of this lesson — the value of labor.
4. Teach Kids Life Skills and the Value of Labor
If your kid gets disheartened or frustrated that they don’t have lots of money to spend on gifts, use this as an opportunity. You can now discuss the value of labor; teach your kids that making gifts can be just as powerful as spending money. Give them options for different types of handmade gifts that can be special for loved ones.
This lesson is also an opportunity to teach life skills and maximize family time. You can bake cookies together, teaching your kids to follow a recipe and measure ingredients. You can make ornaments or paint pottery. You can even build birdhouses together. Each of these handmade gifts comes from the heart, is personal, offers a chance to bond, and likely saves your kid money!
5. Have Kids Purchase, Wrap, and Deliver Gifts
Finally, with the money they will spend, take your kids to physically buy the gifts themselves. Have them bring their cash or bank card, work their way through the list, and keep track of their spending. Shopping together is another great way to bond, and you can share your budget and list with your kid. This way, they’ll see you modeling the behavior you’re teaching them.
Once you’re done shopping, have your kids wrap their gifts and deliver them. Allow them to do an imperfect job at wrapping, putting their personal spin on decorating. When it’s time to give the gifts, encourage them to create handmade cards or tags with their signatures. The holiday season is a glorious time to instill the joy of giving, and the earlier you start, the better.
When the gift-giving is over, and you’re home again, rested and relaxed, reflect together on your child’s accomplishments. Praise their learning processes, making specific points about their ability to budget and buy appropriately. Reward your kids with a nice hot chocolate and a fun holiday movie — another chance to bond. This experience is one they will remember for a lifetime, and it can be a fun and loving one. Financial literacy is an important skill to teach kids, and the holidays are a joyful time to do it.
Oh, likizo. Ni wakati mzuri zaidi wa mwaka kutumia pesa zako zote. Bila shaka, si jinsi unavyotaka mambo yaendelee. Weka bajeti na uishikamane nayo. Angalau, unataka kujaribu sana kuhakikisha kwamba unafanya hivyo. Iwe unajifunza kufanya hivyo mwenyewe au tayari umeijua vizuri, ni wazo zuri kusaidia watoto wako kujifunza pia. Fanya kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu ili kuwafundisha watoto wako jinsi ya kutumia pesa wakati wa likizo. 1. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Kujifunza na kuzungumza: Kila kitu unachofanya na mtoto wako kinapaswa kuanza na mazungumzo. Watoto, na hata watu wazima, hujifunza mambo mapya vizuri zaidi wanapowekwa msingi mzuri. Katika visa vingi, hilo lamaanisha kuzungumza na kijana wako kuhusu yale yanayokuja. Njia hii ni muhimu hasa linapokuja suala la elimu ya kifedha kwa watoto. Si rahisi kujifunza jinsi ya kutumia pesa kwa njia inayofaa, kwa hiyo, jiweke tayari. Weka watoto wako katika mazungumzo kuhusu elimu ya kifedha wakati wa likizo kwa kufungua mada wakati mzuri kwa wote wawili. Utataka kupumzika na kuwa tayari kuwa na mazungumzo ya kawaida lakini ya kukosoa kuhusu pesa. Weka kumbukumbu ya likizo na matakwa yako ya watoto wako kufurahia kupata zawadi kwa marafiki na wapendwa wao. Weka wazi kuwa unataka kuwafanya wawe na mafanikio kwa kuweka bajeti na kupanga matumizi ya pesa. Kisha, ratiba wakati wa kukaa na mtoto wako na kuanza. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Wakati wa kuweka bajeti, mwambie mtoto wako alete benki yake ya pesa, mkoba, au akaunti ya akiba kwenye meza. Chukua karatasi na kalamu na kuketi pamoja ili kukagua fedha za mtoto wako na kuanzisha bajeti kwa ajili ya likizo. Katika hatua hii, utahitaji pia kuamua kama unapanga kuchangia bajeti ya mtoto wako. Kwa mfano, unaweza kumwambia mtoto wako kwamba anapaswa kununua zawadi kwa ajili ya mzazi mwenzake, ndugu zake, au babu na nyanya yake. Unaweza kutaka kushiriki katika zawadi nzuri kutoka kwa mtoto wako. Sasa ni wakati wa kujadili bajeti na mtoto wako. Weka wazi kuwa unataka kuwa na pesa za ziada baada ya likizo kwa matumizi mengine. Wakumbushe kwamba "ni wazo linalohusika" na kwamba zawadi hazihitaji kuwa ghali. Pamoja, unaweza kupata kiasi cha jumla ambacho kina maana kwako na kwa watoto wako. Mwishowe, waahidi watoto wako kwamba watahisi mafanikio makubwa baada ya kufuata bajeti. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Fanya orodha na Uamue kiasi cha pesa utakaotumia Sasa kwa kuwa umepanga bajeti, utahitaji kufanya orodha ya watu ambao mtoto wako anataka kuwapa zawadi. Hakikisha kuwa unawahusisha watu wote, kuanzia wazazi na washiriki wengine wa familia hadi marafiki na majirani. Zungumza na watoto wako kuhusu jinsi inavyoweza kuwa vigumu kuwa na watu wengi sana wa kuwapa. Mhakikishie mtoto wako kwamba si kila mtu aliye kwenye orodha hiyo anayehitaji zawadi kubwa na ya bei ghali. Kisha, tazama bajeti yako na uone ni kiasi gani cha pesa utakachotumia. Unaweza kuweka kiasi kidogo kwa watu ambao mtoto wako hajui sana, kama vile majirani. Yaelekea utataka kuweka kiasi cha juu zaidi, na labda kuchangia mwenyewe, kwa ajili ya washiriki wa familia ya karibu. Orodha hii, kamili na kiasi, itakusaidia kufungua sehemu inayofuata ya somo hili <unk> thamani ya kazi. 4. Uwe na uhakika Kuwafundisha Watoto Ujuzi wa Maisha na Thamani ya Kazi Ikiwa mtoto wako anashuka moyo au kukatishwa tamaa kwa sababu hawana pesa nyingi za kutumia kwenye zawadi, tumia hii kama fursa. Sasa unaweza kuzungumzia thamani ya kazi; kuwafundisha watoto wako kwamba kutoa zawadi kunaweza kuwa na nguvu kama vile kutumia pesa. Wape zawadi za aina mbalimbali ambazo zinaweza kuwa za pekee kwa wapendwa wao. Somo hili pia ni fursa ya kufundisha ustadi wa maisha na kuongeza wakati wa familia. Unaweza kuwa na wakati wa kuoka biskuti na kuwafundisha watoto wako jinsi ya kupika na jinsi ya kupika. Unaweza kutengeneza mapambo au kupaka rangi vyombo vya udongo. Unaweza hata kujenga nyumba za ndege pamoja. Kila moja ya zawadi hizi zilizotengenezwa kwa mikono hutoka moyoni, ni za kibinafsi, hutoa nafasi ya kuunganisha, na yaelekea huokoa pesa za mtoto wako! 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. Weka zawadi, wrap, na kutoa zawadi kwa watoto wako, na kwa pesa watakazotumia, wafanye zawadi zao. Waombe walete pesa zao au kadi zao za benki, wafanye kazi kupitia orodha hiyo, na wafuatilie matumizi yao. Ununuzi wa pamoja ni njia nyingine nzuri ya kuunganisha, na unaweza kushiriki bajeti yako na orodha na mtoto wako. Kwa njia hii, watakuona ukiiga tabia unayowafundisha. Unapomaliza kununua, waulize watoto wako wafunge zawadi zao na kuzipeleka. Wape nafasi ya kufanya kazi isiyo kamilifu ya kufungia, wakitoa maoni yao ya kibinafsi juu ya mapambo. Wakati wa kutoa zawadi, wahimizie kutengeneza kadi au vitambulisho vilivyofanywa kwa mikono na saini zao. Wakati wa likizo ni wakati mzuri wa kuingiza furaha ya kutoa, na mapema unapoanza, ni bora zaidi. Wakati utoaji wa zawadi umekwisha, na mko nyumbani tena, mkipumzika na kupumzika, fikirini pamoja juu ya mafanikio ya mtoto wenu. Msifu wakati wa kujifunza na uonyeshe uwezo wako wa kupanga bajeti na kununua vitu kwa njia inayofaa. Zawadi watoto wako na nzuri chocolate moto na furaha likizo filamu <unk> nafasi nyingine ya dhamana. Hii ni uzoefu ambao utaukumbuka kwa maisha yako yote na unaweza kuwa na furaha na furaha. Ujuzi wa kifedha ni muhimu kwa watoto, na wakati wa likizo ni wakati mzuri wa kufanya hivyo.