Kids and money

Raising Kids With a Healthy Relationship to Money (Not an Obsession With It)

By Giovanni · September 22, 2026

When I started teaching my daughters about money, I caught myself drifting somewhere I didn't love. It would be easy to turn every conversation into a lesson about saving, investing and getting ahead.

That is not the goal. I am not trying to raise kids who are obsessed with saving, investing or getting rich. I am trying to raise kids who have a healthy relationship with money.

To me, that means a few simple things. Money takes effort. Decisions have consequences. Saving creates options. And it is also fine to spend on something you truly want.

We are in a new chapter now, learning to earn. My older daughter landed her first job, tutoring younger kids, and she is enjoying the independence. My younger daughter is a little frustrated because she wants to earn too and isn't sure where to begin. I have offered ideas, but I don't want to push. She is still young, and there is time for all of this.

One thing we are still learning is how to talk about money without making it the center of everything. When money becomes the main topic at the dinner table, it starts to carry a weight it shouldn't. Money is a tool. It is not the goal.

I don't know if we are doing this well. There are surely things we could do better. What I do know is that this feels like the right direction: a house where money gets talked about calmly, spent with intention and saved with purpose, and where nobody feels they have to be perfect.

If you grew up in a home where money was either a source of tension or a topic nobody mentioned, you are not alone. Many of us learned it late and learned it alone. That doesn't make you behind. It means you get to decide how money feels in your home now.

One small place to start: next time money comes up, try talking about it in the same tone you would use for the weather.

Educational purposes only. Not financial advice.