4 Proactive Habits to Help Build Financial Confidence in Your Kids

First, include kids in giving. Even if kids are too young to work a regular job or do a monthly budget, you can start giving them a positive attitude toward giving by sharing verses about generosity and finding simple ways for them to participate. It should be personal to your situation and to your relationships with the kids. Maybe you can set a fundraising goal for a missionary or a friend in need, saving up together alongside all the kids in your family, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School (VBS), or 5-Day Club®. The missionary or friend should be known by them already or consider sharing more information about them and their ministry or need. Adding a time of prayer connects their ability to give with God and the needs of others. To help motivate generous hearts, you could decide on a fun reward for meeting the goal, like dumping a bucket of water on a teacher of their choice, going on a fun outing, or choosing a special snack.

Despite the availability of online giving methods for your own gifts, consider writing a check or using cash to give so that children may participate in the process. They could deliver a gift to the church offering or could seal an envelope and carry it to the mailbox for a distant ministry. When possible, allow the children to see where the money is going or how it might help. In age-appropriate ways, visit the church on a weekday to witness the staff working, join a video chat with the missionary, take a tour of the food pantry, or volunteer to help deliver gifts to needy families with children.

As you give, you can tell kids something like this, “To thank God for providing for us, we give a part of what we earn back to God.” You can also read verses about generosity or stories from missionary newsletters to help kids see how God uses giving to bless others. Always consider where you can let kids help you make decisions about your giving. For example, allow them to help you choose which mission organization to send a gift to. These are simple ways to teach kids about giving, and they give you an opportunity to show how God wants us to be cheerful givers.

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 Another idea is to teach kids about money through Bible stories and verses about generosity. You can make these stories fun by including interactive actions and props. For example, a coin pulled from a toy fish’s mouth may be used to teach kids about trusting God to provide through the story in Matthew 17:24-27, where Jesus miraculously provides money through a coin found in a fish’s mouth. Or use a child’s fishing game to pretend to go fishing as Jesus instructed and pantomime being surprised to find a coin. Older children may enjoy being detectives to discover how Jesus paid his taxes, reading the passage, and then discussing how God provides for them now. The story of the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus may come to life with a simple conversation while sharing their favorite lunch from a lunch box.

Another story you can use is the wise and foolish servant in Matthew 25:14-28. This story teaches kids how God wants us to use wisdom with money. You can have the kids pretend to handle the money like the servants did, pretending to invest, spend, and bury the money. The Bible is full of stories and verses about generosity like these, and all of them make excellent lessons for children to learn early.

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The third idea is to both hire and encourage kids to go out looking for odd jobs. This could be done at home or for a neighbor. Plenty of kids could happily walk a dog, mow a yard, or help clean up a garage for some extra cash, while doing these odd jobs that are different from everyday chores can help show kids that work is valuable. It also teaches them how they can glorify God in their work by serving others. Demonstrate a good attitude about your own work. Talk about the benefits of working hard. Ask kids open-ended questions like, “How can you give glory to God by mowing Mrs. Smith’s lawn?” or show them verses about generosity with our time and labor and how that kind of service can have a big impact.

Demonstrate a good attitude about your own work. Whether it’s your chores around the house or your career, kids will learn much from your example of enthusiasm, determination, and good-natured service. Give them opportunities to work beside you in age-appropriate ways. Simple races to put dirty clothes in a basket, sweeping the floor with a kid-sized broom, or using soapy water to “wash the dishes” near you can build a foundation of contributing to the needs of the family. As they grow, they can learn additional age-appropriate skills to contribute to the family and eventually to serve others from the neighborhood or church. If appropriate, occasionally allow them to visit you at work or even do simple tasks while you work. Answer some of the questions they’ll have and talk about how to be a good worker.

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Finally, help kids learn how to manage their money well by teaching them how to plan for savings and fun expenses, as well as giving. One good way to help kids visualize a financial plan is to encourage them whenever they receive or earn money to put one small percentage towards giving, another toward savings, and another toward spending. The Bible has verses about generosity that often recommend this method, while a commonly suggested giving amount is 10% of your income. Younger kids will more actively engage with cash or play money to visualize the values. For older kids, you can even divide a kid’s bank account into three compartments to help children visualize their income, with plenty of banking institutions offering fun, easy-to-use accounts like this under parental control.

When it comes to savings, help kids plan their goals and rejoice when they meet them. Encourage the naturally frugal child to feel okay about spending their money on fun things when the goal is reached and to consider receiving the purchased item as a gift from God.

This process is a great way to teach kids wise, godly attitudes and habits with money, while these principles about money will spill over into other attitudes about life. After all, there’s a reason why the Bible talks so much about money. There are at least 2,300 verses about generosity, money, wealth, and possessions. Jesus spoke about money in roughly 15% of His preaching and in 11 of His 39 parables. It was His most talked-about topic, with verses about generosity alone numbering in the dozens!

Often how a kid uses his money will show the attitudes of his heart. He should be trained not just in how to afford to buy things, but how to value things the way God does. This will impact everything from his wallet to his friendships, and his career to his leisure time. Money is an important factor to consider in the world around us, and with these four money management tips, you can help children feel in control and empowered with their giving and savings.

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