L'argent expliqué aux enfants
Read, below, the English translation of this article in French
Ce bébé qui nage en direction d'un dollar qui a aujourd'hui 30 ans, aux dernières nouvelles, vie toujours chez sa mère. Comme Tanguy du célèbre film éponyme, cauchemar de la plupart des parents.
Alors pour que vos "poussins" ne s'éternisent pas chez vous jusqu'à leur 50 ans, apprenez leur la gestion d'argent dès l'âge de 3 ans. Voici le lien vers les conseils en la matière d'une banquière avisée à lire gratuitement (une fois pas coutume) sur le site de la finance suisse romande https://www.allnews.ch/content/interviews/largent-expliqu%C3%A9-aux-enfants
Teach children how to use money
By Anna Aznaour
Introducing children to good money management while training them in gender equality is the goal of Mara Harvey’s four books.
Can a woman make a man a millionaire? Yes, provided he is a billionaire! If this sexist joke is rather funny, the reality is much less. And for good reason, in the collective imagination, the woman has either the role of the cicada or that of the good pear. Besides, poorly paid, it has been since childhood. According to some studies, young girls receive up to 30% less pocket money than boys. A kind of inequity learning that will condition their attitude of resignation in adulthood. "And that must change as quickly as possible!" said economist Mara Harvey attacking the roots of evil with her book series" A Smart Way to Start ".
Why is it so urgent to educate the little ones, from the age of 3-4 years, on the basics of finance and equity?
Because it is a matter of survival for this young generation whose life expectancy is likely to reach one hundred years. Just do a simple calculation. If a little one today starts his professional career at the age of 25, he will probably work for 50 years, that is to say until he-she is 75 years old. Knowing that the average lifespan is currently 83 years and that according to the Federal Statistical Office (Switzerland), one in four girls born in 2017 could become centenary, their retirement will last 25 years. At the risk of seeing this entire population in great precariousness, the concept of equal pay should be assimilated by then. The same goes for good monetary reflexes.
Basically, what are the steps to getting started with money in your four books?
We could sum up this education with four words: keep, earn, choose, save. From the age of 3-4 years the child must understand that his pennies have value and that in order not to lose them, he must keep them in a secure place, for example a piggy bank. Around 5-6 years old, he-she will integrate the notion of time, a few hours or even a few days, essential to earn money in order to buy an ice cream, sweets, etc. At the same time, child will learn that his choice to spend this money is final, because he-she will no longer be able to recover it. From 8-10 years old, child will be able to assimilate the concept of savings and interest calculation in order to open, later, a bank account not only to save his money, but also to see it grow. Finally, at the age of 10-12 years old, kids should be familiarized with the concept of debt.
How to explain to the child the debt which affects nearly 47% of our young people from 18 to 25 years old?
This problem is often linked to the inopportune use of the credit card which facilitates online shopping while blurring awareness of the amounts spent, as well as that of cumulative interest. For this reason, it is essential to first train the child using physical money which he can touch, visualize and easily calculate before teaching him how to use digital money. Helping kids understand that spending money you haven't earned exposes you to making a lot more to pay off your debts is absolutely essential.
Should you pay your child for household chores done or the good grades obtained at school?
This is where the "negotiation" component that drives the child to rhetoric comes into play - arguing to persuade in order to reach an agreement. But also learn to assess the value of a job. For example, what is the best-paid housework in relation to its completion time: washing the dishes every day or washing the car once a week? However, not every helping hand to parents should be paid for. As for the bonuses for academic achievements, a single amount, previously fixed, for the whole of his successful annual journey is largely sufficient and only as a celebration. Regarding the child's retribution for each good grade, I advise against it because it may cause confusion in his mind. If child is no longer paid, what should he-she do then? Stop working at school? Learning should be an intrinsic motivation, capable of accompanying it throughout its existence.