What is Money, Anyway?

Kid: “Mom, what is money, anyway?”

Me:

Let's talk about cash, baby.

The facts don’t lie.  Most of us don’t like to talk to our kids about money.  We dutifully teach them how to tie their shoes, we remind them to wear their bike helmets, and some of us even tackle the birds and bees with our littles.  When it comes to money, however, we often stay mum.

Some of us find it rude to talk about money.  Others don’t feel armed with the right resources to answer our children’s money questions.  And let’s admit it, you’re not officially a parent until you’ve bold-faced lied to your expectant kid at a vending machine: “I forgot my wallet!!”  We’ve all been there.

It’s time for that to change. Whether we like it or not, kids learn the vast majority of their money habits from their parents before they’ve even hit double digits. The buck starts with us.  But where do we even begin?

Let’s get back to basics and start at the beginning. What is Money, Anyway?