School course: Why it's better to give cash to children
Most parents give their children pocket money in cash rather than virtual means of payment. Real "pieces of paper" and coins help to master the oral account perfectly and to control expenses wisely. What children need to know about the financial problems of the family, from what age it is worth giving them small amounts for personal spending and why "plastic" is worse than cash — in the material of Izvestia.
The bill is loved
It's good if you get to know money long before you "encounter" with the adult world, says speech therapist, psychologist, art therapist, teacher of Russian language and literature Inna Bogoroditskaya. It is useful for children to give money — it is necessary for the education of independence and familiarization with the world of numbers.
— The innovative teacher Nikolai Aleksandrovich Zaitsev noticed this pattern: it is much easier for children to learn to count when they do it with coins. At an early age, they can be toys. Children like to play in adulthood and feel as important as adults," comments Inna Bogoroditskaya.
The expert emphasizes that it is not so much the monetary unit itself that is important, but rather the realization that it is the equivalent of something essential in life. But it is necessary to introduce the child to the system of restrictions.
— It is important to teach children that money is not an immeasurable quantity, and you can't buy everything you want. In childhood, and even as adults— we acquire only what is available. Explain that parents are not magicians who will fly in a blue helicopter and give everything for free," advises Inna Bogoroditskaya.
The point of view of the teacher-psychologist coincides with the opinion of the teenagers themselves.
— Money is an economic tool, not an object of worship and not the meaning of life. Children need to understand this and learn how to use them," says Daniil Petrov, a 15—year-old ninth-grader. — Therefore, it is not necessary to postpone acquaintance with money, but parents should give them out depending on the consciousness of a particular child.
Cash or bank transfer
Money for children is a great opportunity to learn how to manage finances competently, understand their capabilities, learn how to save for a goal and achieve a deferred result, emphasizes Ksenia Lapshina, psychologist at the Be Healthy children's clinic, art therapist and rehabilitologist.
"It's useful not to get everything right here and now, but to learn how to analyze how much money is in your wallet and what you can buy with it," the expert explains.
It doesn't make sense to give children pocket money for a long time, like a salary at work. In this case, it is tempting to spend more than you need. You should start making independent purchases gradually, starting with small amounts. Then parents will have the opportunity to control what the child spends his pocket money on and how he treats them.
— I think that small amounts can be trusted by children from the age of six, gradually increasing their size, — comments Daniil Petrov. — But it is important to explain their value all the time. Children should know that making money is not so easy. As a teenager, you need to give your child the opportunity to earn money on their own, and this will be the best lesson for understanding the value of money. But the work must be legal.
The dispute about which money is more necessary for minors, real or virtual, is most often decided by parents of elementary and middle school students in favor of cash.
— I always give my son only cash so that he learns to count, can "feel" them, understand how they are spent, how much they are at the very beginning, and how much remains, — says Svetlana, a Muscovite, the mother of sixth-grader Maxim. — When he finds out the value of money, then we'll get a card.
According to Daniil Petrov, children aged 5-9 should be given only non-cash money. The student himself considers an electronic card to be the most convenient option for payment and storage of funds, but with cash it is easier to stop on time when making expenses: it is enough to recalculate the contents of the wallet.
It is better for a teenager to have "real" money, rather than a plastic card, agrees psychologist Ksenia Lapshina.
— The plastic card is the same for everyone. There is no understanding of the amount of money with it if you do not check the balance. And cash forces the brain to analyze the available amount, its shape, volume and weight. The neurons in the head are "running around", the visual analyzers (eyes) are turned on, and the head makes a choice: buy ice cream now or a car in three days, says Lapshina.
How to limit a child's spending and teach them to save
Super-employed moms and dads, as well as parents of high school students, most often prefer cards, since the account can be replenished remotely at any time, and the "plastic" looks more modern than crumpled bills. A significant advantage is that virtual expenses can be controlled, since the card is linked to the parent's data. True, this has to be done after the purchase information arrives, but the teenager knows that adults see where he has been and what he has purchased. Such transparency will not allow him to cheat, hiding unnecessary expenses. And with cash, it's hard to keep track of what was bought: chips and soda or healthy yogurt.
In any case, the teacher considers the main point to be how children manage their money. Parents need to analyze what exactly they are buying and whether they understand that money is a limited amount and it is impossible to realize their desires indefinitely.
— When you go to the store, be sure to introduce even the baby, at least in general terms, for the purpose of visiting the outlet. Show us what's expensive and what you can afford. Explain which products you need to buy all the time, and what you can afford only for the holidays," Inna Bogoroditskaya continues.
The expert advises discussing such things calmly, without hysteria and serious complaints about fate. You just need to explain to the kid that not everything in the world is accessible. And instead of saying "we can't afford it," a primary school student can already explain the financial situation in the family and clearly describe what the main funds are spent on.
— Not in any details, not to pennies, but at least to indicate that some items of expenditure are expensive, but at the same time they are vital: utility bills, taxes, housing mortgages, — the expert continues. — The child will understand as much as he can. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to frighten him with your reaction to financial problems.
The teacher advises to gradually initiate teenagers into some life problems - let them know that they exist. This will help you realize that limiting spending is a motivated prohibition. It is necessary to educate children to be economical and frugal in relation to money, then it will be much easier for them in adulthood.
— After all, none of us really imagines what difficulties we may have to go through, — says Inna Bogoroditskaya. — And financial problems are, in general, difficulties of a fairly high order. Anyone who teaches you financial literacy will definitely tell you about the airbag. If a person does not know how to save money, it will be very difficult for him. As an adult, he risks reaching a tragic ending.
For this reason, it is important to teach children how to save money. From an expert's point of view, a child should understand that by denying himself momentary pleasure, which he can do without, he will gradually accumulate something that will bring him much greater joy.
— This small self—restriction in favor of something really important, useful or necessary is a very good skill that a person will be happy with in adulthood. If you buy a child a fairly expensive gift, such as a bicycle, scooter, or an expensive toy, it is important that this amount includes some of the money he has saved," the teacher continues.
By itself, raising the question that it is possible to achieve some results day after day by saving money leads to an understanding of what a financial safety cushion is. This concept is best understood in childhood. The share of this contribution can be any, but a teenager necessarily realizes that by denying himself some small things, he has accumulated an amount that can be invested in something meaningful for himself, summarizes Bogoroditskaya.
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