Viva Kids World Mom, Why Don't People Talk about Money?
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Money as a taboo subject – it's still like that in many Swiss families. But why? Especially if youngsters are to learn how to manage money, it's important that parents discuss the subject with their children. But not all financial details have to be revealed straight away.
Raising the Subject of Money
Whether it's vacations, pets or proper nutrition – there's hardly anything parents don't talk to their children about. The big exception is money. But why? Of all topics, this should be a priority, because parents in particular influence their children's financial behavior. This is something that Prof. Carmela Aprea is also aware of. In an interview, she explains how significantly and in what way parents influence their children's financial behavior, and how important it is to seek active dialogue with children.
Arouse Their Curiosity about Money
"Did you know that the 1,000 franc note is the world's highest value banknote?" – Interesting facts like this can be a good conversation starter. And completely by the way, your knowledge will help you to shine as parents. We have compiled five such interesting facts for you in our article. So, why not ask you child: "Did you know that …?"
Answering Unpleasant Questions
When money is at issue, unpleasant situations can also arise sometimes. For example, if the whole class is able to go to summer camp, or only the most expensive mobile phone will do. How do you explain to a child that the family cannot (or would rather not) afford it? In such cases, Daniel Betschart of Pro Juventute advises people to develop children's understanding of money: "Help children to understand that you can or cannot afford certain things, by thinking and calculating aloud, and explaining." For example, that could start when you go shopping together. "Explain to your children why certain products are put in the cart and others aren't." You can read many other tips in his "column".
Forming an Opinion Together
Discussions about money are often not about right and wrong, but are frequently about far-reaching questions that are not easy to answer. For example, does money make you happy? Or, why can't rich people just pay for everything for the poor? Primary school teacher Eva Woodtli Wiggenhauser says: "Philosophizing helps children to make sense of the world." In the article "Philosophizing about Money with Children", she gives three valuable tips about how to discuss this and other questions with children.
Imagine There Wasn't Such a Thing as Money...
Our money is a counting unit, a store of value, and means of payment. If money didn't exist, not only would we have to barter goods – we would also have to exchange tasks, like shining shoes and mowing the lawn. Discuss things like this with your children: What can you do really well? What service would you offer and what would you exchange it for?
Incidentally, there are once again lots of great craft tips in Viva Kids World. What about a coin wonder turner, for example, or your own star cutouts?
About Coins and Notes
With the Viva Kids gang, it's all about money: The Viva Kids are busy collecting. The World Cup will soon be on and, while they're bargaining hard over stickers, the kids notice that swapping things was once quite normal. So why was money invented? And what different things can our money do? The kids go in search of answers to these and many other questions.
To the video "The Story of Money"