How To Talk to Kids About Money: Financial Literacy Month 2026

April 09, 2026

April is Financial Literacy Month and Credit Union Youth Month! How are you helping the kids in your life learn about money? Here are some simple ways to integrate financial education into your daily life that don’t feel like another lesson plan or lecture.

Teach The Virtue of Patience 

Kids may not always remember the specific things you said about finances, but they are more likely to integrate habits that you always practiced. For example, when online shopping or making a big purchase, teach them to wait 24 hours to avoid impulse purchases. This technique isn’t always practical for every purchase, but it can be an excellent tool when needs aren’t urgent. For example, if your teenager asks to buy something online, tell them to wait 24 hours to think about whether they still want to choose this purchase over a meal with friends, the equivalent amount of their favorite treat, or anything else they might want to buy instead. 

Make it Age Appropriate

There are lots of good financial education resources online for elementary, middle, high school and adults. Taking your kids’ interests and learning preferences into account, find items and make the introduction. It could be a coloring sheet or a YouTube account. If they’re engaged with the content, they’re more likely to learn from it. 

Practice Budgeting 

When your kids leave the financial security of home, will they be prepared to remain financially responsible without supervision? Even adults have a hard time remaining disciplined enough to create and follow a budget, so imagine how well you could set your children up for success if you teach them to budget and make it a habit? If you are already practicing allowances, you can easily integrate budgeting by sitting down with them to make a plan for that money together at the same time that you complete your family budget. Show them how you make the whole family’s budget as an example. Tell them why you allocate money to savings instead of allocating it to entertainment, and explain any situational adjustments as they arise. 

For educators, this can even be a great class project. Give your students a set amount of “money” and assign them an income and regular bills to create a fictional budget with the remaining income depending on their goals. Each student can present their fictional budget and discuss their choices as a class. Everyone loves to dream about winning the lottery and the outlandish purchases, but it’s important to talk about real life, before they really have to pay for all the regular living expenses.

Let Them Earn Money

A common shift in perspective when it comes to money is how differently you view it once you are making your own. The sooner kids learn the value of money, the sooner they can understand the value of saving and budgeting. If your kids are currently earning an allowance without any expectations, consider switching to an effort-based system where they earn dollar amounts for specific chores. This teaches your kids the value of hard work and may change the way they spend. Their mindset might shift from “I really want these trendy shoes,” to “these trendy shoes will cost me laundry for the month.” Although it’s not vital right now since they aren’t paying the bills, learning to think in these terms will greatly benefit them later in life. 

Introduce Them to Credit Unions 

Create a savings account for them that you can one day transition to their name, but don’t stop there. When you pass on the funds you’ve grown for them through their student years, explain why they should continue this membership. Teach them that they are now a member because of your eligibility, and that membership is completely different from having an account at a bank. 

One way you can show them the credit union difference is by explaining why their savings have grown so much from your initial deposit. This is because credit union members are not-for-profit, so when the credit union makes a profit, one way these funds go back to members is through higher rates on savings accounts. 

If you don’t already have a savings account set up for the students in your home, get started today! View our rates and savings account options here. Teaching your kids about money is a big responsibility, but it doesn’t have to feel like a burden. We are here to support you through your financial journey as you raise financially independent adults. Contact us or visit our office today to let us know how we can help!