There are many things that might seem obvious to you as a parent. You may think about things like teaching alphabet and numbers, and you may do your best to be sure your children have manners and learn about hygiene. There are some things that most parents overlook, simply because it is not something that their parents put any emphasis on when they were growing up. If you don?t teach your children about money, they are bound to make some huge mistakes when they are finally on their own. That means you should find some time to play a money game with them.
There are many things children can learn from playing a money game. They may learn the same things they learn from other games. Those things include sharing, taking turns, using patience, and also how to have fun without a computer or a television. They can also learn about numbers, which they have to know for school anyway. The bonus of playing a money game like Monopoly (for example) is also that money has value and you have to think before you buy or you will be out of luck.
You won?t be able to play a money game like Monopoly with younger kids, but there are some out there that teach the basics of spending money. You may want to stay away from the ones that allow kids to have credit cards that have no limit. They just assume they can use any card that way, and that can be very dangerous when they get older. Real cards have limits, and they have to be paid back, and giving them a game with unlimited pretend money on a credit card is not going to teach them any of that.
Instead, look for money games that have coins and bills, and that allow children to make choices about purchases. Talk them through the games and tell them what you think, and then ask them what they think. Allow them to do what they want, and when they run out, talk with them about what they may have done wrong. A money game certainly won?t teach them all there is to know about handling money, but it can be a good start to get them thinking about how to spend and how to save. Hopefully, those lessons, along with others you may teach them, will put them in a better financial situation when they get older.
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