Guide to Financial Health – How to Teach Your Kids to Better Handle Their Finances
Every year, millions of young professionals join the labor force, clueless to the dangers of financial pitfalls that lurk just around the corner. They are professionally trained, computer savvy and eager to take on the challenges the world can offer. But how many of them are equipped with skills to manage their finances adequately? Many of them, while still in college incur debts that plague them until after they graduate. They start joining the labor force in order to pay off debts but instead end up borrowing more money through easy lending schemes such as payday loans online. This, according to InvestorWords.com is poor financial health.What is financial health and how is it achieved? Still according to the same website, being financially healthy is being able to manage one’s money and being able to pay debts on time. While borrowing money is neither a crime nor a sin, excessive debts can ruin one’s life. Trying to meet payment deadlines, worrying about how to survive from pay day to pay day and coming up with payment schemes for various loans such as payday loans online can be stressful. Various health sites inform that prolonged stress is harmful to health and at times can be fatal.It is incumbent upon parents to prepare their children by teaching them practical skills in managing their finances. It is just as important as other skills for their survival in this dog eat dog world. Here are some simple tips in teaching children and young adults to be financially healthy:1. Teach pre-school children how to save even before they can count. The earliest practical birthday present is a piggy bank. Habits established during the formative years have been proven by child psychologists to last longer than those learned later. Teach children the simple habit of saving for something they want to buy. Developing this habit can later on shield them from quick and easy to get loans such as payday loans and credit cards.2.Teach children how to avoid impulse buying and overspending. Giving money every time they want to buy something reinforces impulse buying behavior. And giving more than what is needed encourages overspending. As soon as they are able to understand, involve them in planning and budgeting finances in the home, although it’s not sensible to unduly stress them with pressing financial problems. Share with them information that are age-appropriate.3. Teach children to be generous and caring. No matter what your religious affiliation, giving and sharing are universal virtues that help to spread the wealth around and promote a healthy economy. It also prevents others from going into debt.4. Teach children the value of productive work. While leisure and pleasure are necessary to maintain health, too much can lead to laziness and unproductiveness. Children and young adults need to handle responsibilities early. Valuing work and the benefits that are gained from it will encourage children to become financially independent.5. Set a good example. Be the role model of financial health to your offspring. As much as possible stay out of debt. Spend within your means. Live out what you teach.