Teaching Tips for Lesson 15: Saving Builds Confidence, Security, and a Sense of Empowerment

This is the fifteenth of seventeen blogs providing practical teaching tips inspired by the lyrics and concepts from the Sammy Rabbit song Get in the Habit!

In the original blog, How the Sammy Rabbit Song Get in the Habit Teaches Kids 17 Money Lessons — Plus Powerful Vocabulary, we explored how the song supports financial education in three powerful ways:

Through clear, repeatable phrases directly from the song
Through real-world money lessons that naturally emerge when kids discuss and apply those phrases or concepts
Through everyday money language that builds financial vocabulary.

Now, we’re expanding on that foundation with a series of blogs that offer teaching tips for each of the 17 individual lessons embedded in the song. Each blog will include: (1) Simple questions to ignite discussion and learning (2) Two easy-to-implement micro-activities (3) A challenge action step (4) Key words to build personal finance and life-skills vocabulary.

Let’s begin with Lesson 15. It's inspired by and derived from the song's lyrics.

You can click on the following links to find: song lyrics and a karaoke Video.

Summary

Lesson: Discuss how saving money provides powerful emotional benefits. When children save consistently, they experience the confidence that comes from seeing their progress and the security of knowing they have money set aside. Saving also feels empowering—it gives kids a sense of control, pride, and independence as they realize their actions are creating positive results. These emotional rewards make it easier for children to stick with good money habits and believe in their ability to reach future goals.

Share with kids: Saving helps you feel proud, safe, and in control. When you save your money, you feel ready for the future and strong enough to reach your goals.

1. Simple Discussion Questions

Use one or two—short, easy, and great for home or classroom conversations.

How does saving money make you feel?
Why do you think saving helps you feel safe and ready?
What does it mean to feel in control of your money?
How does seeing your savings grow make you feel?
Why do good feelings help us keep good habits?

2. Two Micro-Activities (2–5 Minutes Each)

---Micro-Activity 1: Feel the Save

Materials: None

Ask kids to name a feeling they get when they save (proud, happy, calm).

After each answer, ask:

Why do you think saving gives you that feeling?

Have kids show the feeling with a facial expression or gesture.

Purpose: Connects saving with positive emotions and self-awareness.

---Micro-Activity 2: My Saving Power

Materials: Paper and crayons (optional)

Ask kids to:

Draw themselves saving money
Draw a symbol that shows how saving makes them feel (heart, shield, star)

Have them say:

“Saving gives me power!”

Purpose: Reinforces empowerment and emotional benefits of saving.

3. Challenge Action Step

Challenge:
This week, notice how saving makes you feel.

Ask kids to:

Save something at least three times
Pause and name the feeling each time
Say:
“Saving helps me feel strong and ready!”

This builds emotional awareness and habit reinforcement.

4. Key Vocabulary Words

These are key words for this lesson that will help children
connect saving with emotions and confidence.

Proud: Feeling happy about what you’ve done

Secure: Feeling safe and ready

Control: Being able to make your own choices

Confidence: Believing in yourself

Independence: Being able to take care of yourself

So when we talk about saving, we’re learning that it doesn’t just help our money—it helps how we feel about ourselves.

Now Check Out Lesson 16

This blog is part of a 17-lesson series that uses the Sammy Rabbit song Get in the Habit to make it fun, easy, and effective for anyone to talk with and teach young kids about great money habits.

When ready, check out Teaching Tips for Lesson 16: Understanding Builds Ownership. It focuses on how understanding the reason why behind a money habit increases responsibility and accountability.

Additional Songs and Fun Resources

Keep:

kids listening, learning, singing and growing with a FREE or PREMIUM Money School Memberships.
parents, teachers, and community leaders learning and growing their financial literacy teaching skills by reading Sam X Renick's series of articles: Money Lessons Parents Should Teach Kids!
delivering financial education at home, in school, and other venues with Sammy's Dream Big Financial Education curriculum!

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.