Talk to any educator and they are likely to agree the “summer slide” is real.  Often, the first two weeks (or more) of school are spent “reteaching” the concepts taught the previous year. So how can you help prevent this from happening to your kids?  Try reading. Taking time to read to or with our kids is a great way to help prevent that learning loss. And reading as a family is one of the best ways to spend quality time together and to strike up some meaningful conversations – especially during the summer.

To help you get started, I’ve assembled a recommended reading list of great money books for preschool to adult.

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For the past 25 years I have been teaching people how and why to teach their kids about money.  And yet, many still struggle with how to teach their kids about their money choices.  I think I know why.

Most of the adults I work with, and listen to, are genuinely wonderful parents.  They LOVE their kids.  They want to give their kids everything they did not have.  And therein lies the problem.  The “giving” is more about the parents than it is about their kids. This genuine desire to “give” everything their kids want or need is actually filling a hole parents fell in to when they were kids. Adults don’t want their kids to suffer or struggle as they did growing up. So, now that parents or guardians have the means to “give”, they want to do so.  And I totally get that.

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Parents have long understood the power of going shopping without their kids in tow. Why? We spend more and on things we never ever intended when they are with us. Why again? It’s because of “influence” spending – when kids ask (beg) their parents or guardians to spend their money for something the child tells us they really, really want. Kids are groomed to spend by what they are seeing in ads on TV, social media and in game apps.

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In my time, we have had several interns at Money Savvy Generation. Each one was a “win” for us as a company. They brought new ideas and enthusiasm for the financial education work that we do. They were excited about tackling projects that we just did not have the time to devote to – but needed to get done nevertheless. We know they added value to our organization.  But did we give the same value in return? I think we did.  But many ask should internships be paid or unpaid?

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