How to Talk About Money With Your Kids: What Real Families Say

Many parents want to talk about money with their kids and don't know where to start, so the conversation gets postponed. Ron Lieber, in The Opposite of Spoiled, proposes talking early, with simple questions and no taboos.

How to do it

A father wrote to the author of the brand's books. He has a 9-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son who was already asking about bank accounts. The girl stopped at the illustrations, found the book talked about money and asked to do the activity workbook with her dad. The father was considering whether it would also work for his older son, who is entrepreneurial and works. The book opened the door; the conversation between them was what followed.

Other reviews describe the same thing in different terms: kids who enjoy the book and families who talk afterward. One Amazon review says the kids learn while having fun. A person on Instagram mentions that the book teaches saving, spending with intention and the value of work.

To start at home, pick a calm moment like dinner or the walk to school. Read a short passage and pause before the character's decision. Ask "What would you do?" and listen without correcting. If your child is older, ask what worries them about money, as the father in the story did.

What it's for

For your child, the conversation gives them a place to give an opinion about something they already see at home. For you, the book is an excuse to start and the conversation is what sustains it.

What the research says

Fletcher and Wright (2024) link talking with children aged 4 to 6 about spending to better financial understanding. Gudmunson and Danes (2011) describe that parents' intent and the quality of the relationship weigh more than any material. One money question a week is enough to begin.

What you'll see over time

In the first weeks, the weekly question may get short answers. Between one and six months the answers get longer and the topic shows up without you bringing it. In the long run money stops being a special topic at home.

Signs it's working

You know it works when the child asks about money on their own initiative, when they answer in their own words and when the topic appears in conversations that aren't about money.