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A few simple ways to teach your toddlers & preschoolers about financial responsibility

22 Feb

I wrote this post over a year ago for another blog. I am so happy to share my thoughts on Carrots Are Orange!

My son is only 17 months old but he gets that dad leaves for work every morning and that he comes home to us every evening. We walk him to the door, give a hug and a kiss and say goodbye. For some time he would simply say, “Dad-dee?” several times throughout the day to which I would reply, “Daddy is at work, sweetie. Remember that we said good bye to him this morning.” Then he’d say sweetly, “Dad-dee, home.” Yes, of course we’d both like for Daddy to come home.

Well, this week I noticed that his understanding of where Dad-dee is going is beginning to change. He attempts to say, “Dad-dee work. Car. Bye bye,” or something akin to that order. So I decided what the heck, I’ll take the time and the opportunity to explain the concept of work, why Dad-dee leaves for work every day, and why work is important. As I explained the concept of work to him, he listened intently. I could tell he was paying attention. So I jumped on it.

True, at 17 months old, he may not “get it” truly but I believe 100% that some of what I am explaining gets through to him now and more and more will get through to him with each passing day. Don’t underestimate your children, no matter how young. I believe that statement in the context of so many subjects (death, money, nutrition, etc).

My tips for you are pretty simple:

  1. The earlier, the better. So start teaching about the concept of “work” early! Ingrained in him that money is earned through hard work and effort.
  2. The earlier you start teaching the concept of work, paychecks, money, etc, the more simple language you need to use.
  3. Use context your child will understand. For example you could talk about how money allows us to buy the food you eat, the milk he drinks, the car we drive, the blocks with which he plays, etc. Or a simple antidote about going to the store and paying for groceries. Anything that might connect the dots for your child, no matter how young.

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Now the concept of “work” is not an easy one but have faith your child will begin to understand and the earlier you start introducing these concepts, the better. As your child grows older, you can introduce more tangible concepts of a paycheck via their own allowance system. On the less tangible side, think about concepts such as “the value of work”, strong work ethic, and the benefits of working in a team and as an individual.

Thanks for visiting!

Marnie

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Posted in Activities, Basic Concepts, Education, Financial Literacy, Homeschool, Kindergarten, Math, Money, Montessori, Musings, Parenting, Preschool, Toddler

 

St. Patrick’s Day – Making Green

21 Feb

What better occasion to play with colors than on St. Patrick’s Day, a day celebrated around the world and not just in Ireland? I happen to be Irish so the holiday ties right into many aspects of family life and learning.

There are a few legends around the official color of the holiday, one being that the official color was once blue. Green makes sense for a lot of reasons. It is the color of the shamrock, for example, and represents the lush landscape of the “emerald isle”, a name for which Ireland is known.

So, today’s activity is quite simple: Making the color green. In this activity we work on sensory (colors), basic concepts (colors), practical life (pouring) and fine motor skills (using a syringe).

Start with a tray and three jars. Two jars filled part way with water and a third jar either empty or with a little water.

Grab yellow and blue food coloring or paint to add color to the jars with water. My 2.5 year old helped me color the water in these jars.

Then I showed him the syringe and how to use it. Syringes are a tough fine motor skill to grasp at this young an age.

Begin by having your child take a little water from the blue colored water.

Then a little water from the yellow jar.

My little guy got a little impatient with the syringe so he ended up picking up the jars and pouring the water, which I totally expected.

Thanks for visiting!
Marnie

 
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Posted in Activities, Art, Basic Concepts, Fine Motor Skills, Holidays, Homeschool, Montessori, Practical Life, Preschool, Sensory, Toddler

 

St. Patrick’s Day Preschool Counting Activity

20 Feb

This one is pretty simple. I love the holidays! Makes for fun, festive lessons!

I borrowed this counting chart from Confessions of a Homeschooler.

Present the activity by explaining the sheet, count to ten (or how high you chose to go to) and then describing the items in the Leprechaun hat one by one. I worked a “Control of Error” into the exercise by placing just enough items in the hat to match the total number (e.g. there is one big pom pom, two green caps, three shamrocks, etc). So the only way to successfully complete the exercise is if all the items are used in the exercise.

This is one activity of a variety that we’ll be doing throughout the next month to weave St. Patrick’s Day into our days and learning. I look forward to sharing the ideas with you!

Thanks for visiting!
Marnie

 
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Posted in Basic Concepts, Education, Homeschool, Math, Montessori, Preschool, Seasonal, Toddler

 

5 Tips & Activities for Teaching Kids about Money

19 Feb

It is never too early to start applying lessons about financial responsibility. These tips on teaching spending responsibility may just do the trick for your younger children. Have fun & good luck!

1. Keep the Change: One of my memories as a young child was my mother giving me a dollar or two for the corner store. Whatever change we had leftover was ours to keep. What a fantastic lesson in spending! If I spend it all, I have nothing! If I am careful about what I chose to spend my money on, then I have some money in the (piggy) bank or the family bank (handled somewhere in mom and dad’s top secret computer files). This approach is hands on, interactive and deals directly with consequences. So, next time your child asks for a few bucks to go to the corner store (after earning it, of course!), try it!

2. Bargain Hunting: Whomever finds the best deal on XYZ in the grocery store, can choose the family snack for the week, or whatever incentive you chose.

3. Comparison Shopping: We do a lot of our shopping online and that includes reading product reviews and comparing products. Take the time to do this with your kids. Maybe to make it interesting to them, choose a product you are thinking about purchasing for them. Maybe a new lunch box, sneakers or back yard kiddie pool. This is a great opportunity to talk about cost/quality trade offs, customer experience and why one product may cost more than another.

4. Cheaper isn’t always better: Another grocery store activity: Find the most expensive banana or OJ and the least expensive banana or OJ. Similar to #3, talk about why one is more or less expensive than the other. Is it organic? Is it ready to eat?

5. Let’s Go to the Library: Library versus Buying a Book – I take my toddler to the library on a regular basis. At some point I look forward to explaining to him how the library borrowing system works. If your child needs a new book or to freshen up his or her collection, you have an opportunity to talk about borrowing versus owning.

6. Lemonade Stand: At some point in a kid’s early life, he or she wants to sell baked goods or lemonade at the end of the driveway. Seize the opportunity. One week, supply everything for your child and assist them in any way. Chances are that your child will be successful and let’s say earns $20. So then chances are that your child will want to no doubt sell lemonade again the next week. This time, however, take your child to the grocery story with the revenue ($20) from the prior week in hand. Buy the supplies from that $20, see what is left over as the profit. Repeat. This activity is hands on, interactive and your child will surely feel the ramifications and the benefits of being a store owner. Here is a great online game for your kids. Also a very sweet book to integrate charitable giving into this lesson is below.

These are a sample of a number of “teaching moments” that you can integrate into your family’s life. Enjoy and I look forward to sharing more with you!

Enjoy!
Marnie

I shared this post on:
Montessori Monday

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Posted in Activities, Basic Concepts, Education, Family Wellness, Financial Literacy, Financial Literacy, Homeschool, Kindergarten, Math, Money, Montessori, Parenting, Preschool, Toddler

 
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