The importance of choice is discussed in an article written by Jess Feldman for the publication that Makes Money Personal –  The Balance.    Accountability, early conversations, and relatable experiences help teach kids about money.  From creating savings, spending, and give-away jars, to explaining taxes by way of grandma or the neighborhood fire department, lessons about money need to be relatable to your child’s life.  At least that’s how David Pickler—director of the American Public Education Foundation (APEF)—sees it.  Pickler is a wealth advisor, attorney, and financial planner. Through his various roles, he’s made money management a priority, and his own childhood showed him first-hand how crucial it is to introduce basic financial literacy lessons at a young age.

Children and teens also look up to parents as their example—their very first example—of how to handle money, Pickler told The Balance.  “I think if a parent is able to not just talk the talk, but I mean actually walk the walk, and actually display that good behavior and those good disciplines, that can really influence children,” he said.  In addition to leading APEF in its efforts to promote high-quality public education in U.S. schools.

Make Money Relatable – How do you recommend parents discuss the concept of saving, and creating financial goals to help teens really ‘get it?’  Just 21 states require high school students to take a course in personal finance, according to 2020 data. However, nearly 50% of high school seniors surveyed in 2018 said they wish they learned personal finance in school prior to attending university or entering the workforce.

The Power of Behavior – If a parent doesn’t feel confident talking about money, for any reason, where should they start? Parents don’t have to have a very complicated or extensive financial education. Each and every day, there are opportunities for us to share basic information. There are things like when they go to a grocery store, or they go to a quick pump, or when a person at the cashier is handing you a bill—talk to [your teens] about how you deal with this.  The reality is that anything a parent can do, they can share their experience or provide a teaching tool. For many kids, it could be something as simple as an allowance to help develop an understanding of the connection between doing certain chores or work and earning a financial reward. But also, there’s got to be consistency. If they don’t do that, they don’t get paid. They don’t show up with the tooth, the tooth fairy doesn’t show up for them.

During the recent interview he points out many ideas highlighted here but can be read in entirely from the link below.