National Make a Difference to Children Month
07/08/2026
National Make a Difference to Children Month
National Make a Difference to Children Month is the perfect reminder that teaching children about money doesn’t have to wait until they’re adults. In fact, many lifelong financial habits begin at an early age. The good news? You don’t need to be a financial expert to make a difference!
Children learn by watching the adults around them. Including them in age-appropriate conversations about savings, spending, and budgeting helps make money feel less intimidating. Simple moments like comparing prices at the grocery store, planning for family vacation, or saving for a special purchase can become valuable learning opportunities. The more your child gets exposed to these sorts of situations, the more they can learn.
Other great teachable moments include when a child receives money. Whether it’s birthday money, allowance, or earnings from a lemonade stand, encouraging children to divide their money into categories such as spending, saving, and giving is a great way to learn these concepts. When children learn to set savings goals, they learn patience and delayed gratification as well as helping them understand that reaching financial goals often takes time.
The difference between wants and needs is also a good topic to reinforce over time. When they learn the difference between needs like food, clothing, and housing and wants like toys, video games, or trendy items, they are better able to take control of their own finances later. It can also lead to them making more sustainable financial decisions.
As children get into their early teen years, starting them off with a savings account of their own can help introduce them to banking basics. They will see their money grow in real time while also getting introduced to concepts like deposits, withdrawals, and goal setting. As they get older, things like debit cards, credit, and more become natural progression topics for them to explore.
Children notice more than we realize. When the adults around them introduce them to various financial topics, they learn that financial responsibility is a learned habit and is a part of everyday life early on. These lessons simply require consistency and open communication. This consistency builds confidence and confidence leads to greater financial health.
Financial literacy is a gift parents can give their children that is far more valuable than money. For the rest of Make a Difference to Children Month, we will be going over some more financial literacy topics and ways parents can help their children develop financial awareness. Be sure to come back next week for more!