3 Highlights: Kids and Money – Teach Them Early for Lifelong Impact!
Updated 1/28/26
To raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy education, we regularly highlight and review articles focused on teaching children about money. For each article, we share a few reflections on three points that really HOP off the page for us.
We’d also love to hear from you. If a thought or takeaway resonates, share one or two of your insights with us.
Today’s article: Kids and Money - Teach Them Early for Lifelong Impact by Rinar Erickson, CFP®, CAP, posted on Creative Planning.
There’s a lot to like about this article—so much, in fact, that it’s a real test to stick to just three highlights.
Highlight One
Prioritize financial education in your household
…When you make fiscal education a priority in your household and give your kids a chance to make foolish mistakes, they will have a chance to learn by their own experiences how to manage money responsibly and feel the consequences of poor decisions…
I couldn’t pass on this point, It’s what Team Sammy is all about: family and youth empowerment!
The idea is simple and powerful: you reap what you sow. When you prioritize financial education at home, you dramatically increase the likelihood of raising financially capable, confident children.
Mistakes aren’t failures; they’re part of the learning process. Giving kids safe opportunities to make small money mistakes helps them develop judgment, responsibility, and resilience. These are skills they’ll carry for life.
Highlight Two
The power of learning by doing
…I have learned that the best kind of financial education we can give children is through experience…
Learn-by-doing is a Sammyriffic way to learn and a core Sammy Rabbit tenet.
My dad emphasized learning by listening and observing, which was valuable to a point. But as a kid, I really wanted to do things and try them myself. Hands-on learning made everything click.
According to Friends’ Central School, some key benefits of hands-on learning include:
It’s a more engaging way to learn
It leads to increased retention
It builds problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
It often results in a tangible outcome or creation
Rinar also adds an important qualifier: “Whatever works with your family’s lifestyle and values.”
That’s worth emphasizing. Every family is different. Parents and caregivers are in the best position to assess what’s working, what’s not, and how to adapt financial lessons to fit their household.
Highlight Three
Pay yourself first (or, for kids: save first!)
… With birthday money, allowances, and paychecks, we have made it a priority to teach our kids the importance of paying themselves first … We have a five-year-old daughter and she loves it when she earns money. As soon as the money is in her hand, she immediately wants to go to the dollar store ...
This one resonates deeply with me.
Before creating Sammy Rabbit, I asked myself: If I could teach a child—or even an adult—just one thing about money, what would it be?
My answer: Pay yourself first.
For young kids, we translate that into something simple and powerful: saving is a great habit.
I was introduced to this concept through the first personal finance book I ever read, The Richest Man in Babylon. My dad had me read it when I was about 11 or 12. The message stuck.
From the very first day I started working professionally, I paid myself first. It remains the best financial decision I’ve ever made. It helped me build financial freedom and security—and it also shaped the way I spend money, pushing me toward more thoughtful, value-based choices.
Bonus
A few more lines worth savoring
Here are a few additional sentences from the article that I really relished and encourage you to reflect on as well!
...learning what money is and how it functions in the real world can begin at an even younger age... ...The sooner they make the connection between work and money, the better...Let them earn money by doing chores, getting good grades, or whatever works with your family’s lifestyle and values. The important thing is that children see the connection between work and money. ...We never bail him out, so the onus is solely on him. ...As long as you let them feel the consequences of both good and poor money choices, a financial mistake that might cost them hundreds or even thousands now will most assuredly save them from making truly devastating mistakes when they become adults...
Keep Kids and Families Learning
Kids, families, and schools of every kind can enroll in Sammy Rabbit’s Money School with a FREE, PREMIUM or Group Discount Money School Memberships, giving learners access to engaging, age-appropriate financial education resources.
Parents, teachers, and community leaders are invited to explore the resources and teaching tips available on SammyRabbit.com, starting with award-winning financial educator Sam X Renick’s article series, Money Lessons Parents Should Teach Kids!
Schools, community organizations, employers, and partners can learn more about Sammy's Dream Big Financial Education curriculum, a flexible, standards-aligned approach designed to help children build strong money habits, confidence, and lifelong skills.
Contact Sammy Today!
We welcome your questions, suggestions, and ideas! Let’s connect, brainstorm, and partner to keep helping kids, families, and communities build strong financial literacy knowledge, habits, and skills—so together, we can create better and brighter futures for all.
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