A thread on the subject of tooth fairy money in another forum here has started a whole new train of thought in my head.
ds is three, almost three and a half but developmentally delayed, so closer to three. Anyway, I am realizing he has an increasing fascination with the concept of money. He has a lot of questions, and I really want to take advantage of his interest to do some early teaching. I really wish when I was a kid that I had been taught more about money.
I am a Montessori-oriented mom, and I am trying to figure out how the two things fit together. I know from foster parenting my older kids that I don't want to tie chores and money together. I think a lot of this comes from being connected to the Montessori method. I think participating in family life and chores is part of being a member of the family community, just like participating in chores and cleaning up after oneself is a part of being a child in a Montessori learning community. It is grace and courtesy.
At the same time, I want my children to understand that money is generally something we work for. I want them to understand that folks generally receive most of the money they have by earning it. At this early age, I think we can provide a good foundation for later learning about the complex dynamics of currency-based economics and so forth. I'd like to put in place some basic lessons on economics, using my approach to money.
I also want my kids to get practice from an early age using money. I want them to know what it feels like to have it, and to make choices about what to do with it. But I feel an obligation to teach them responsible saving (and investment?) practices as well. Not to mention that I want them to understand the value of sharing what one has with others, maybe not right now with their own money, but with their own money as they hit 6 or 7. For that I am thinking less of donating their money and more of tangible stuff they can really grasp. For example, buying food, preparing a meal, boxing it up, and bringing it over to the home of someone with a new babe or someone who is sick, or a "homebound" elder in our church, or giving it to homeless folks near where we live?
So I guess my broad question is, how can I meet these objectives, with a generally Montessori approach to our family life? What are your thoughts on allowance and other ways to teach about money to kids? When should I start (should I wait, for example, until after a certain math lesson in Montessori), and should I do any money-specific "lessons" in prep for sharing money with my children?
ds is three, almost three and a half but developmentally delayed, so closer to three. Anyway, I am realizing he has an increasing fascination with the concept of money. He has a lot of questions, and I really want to take advantage of his interest to do some early teaching. I really wish when I was a kid that I had been taught more about money.
I am a Montessori-oriented mom, and I am trying to figure out how the two things fit together. I know from foster parenting my older kids that I don't want to tie chores and money together. I think a lot of this comes from being connected to the Montessori method. I think participating in family life and chores is part of being a member of the family community, just like participating in chores and cleaning up after oneself is a part of being a child in a Montessori learning community. It is grace and courtesy.
At the same time, I want my children to understand that money is generally something we work for. I want them to understand that folks generally receive most of the money they have by earning it. At this early age, I think we can provide a good foundation for later learning about the complex dynamics of currency-based economics and so forth. I'd like to put in place some basic lessons on economics, using my approach to money.
I also want my kids to get practice from an early age using money. I want them to know what it feels like to have it, and to make choices about what to do with it. But I feel an obligation to teach them responsible saving (and investment?) practices as well. Not to mention that I want them to understand the value of sharing what one has with others, maybe not right now with their own money, but with their own money as they hit 6 or 7. For that I am thinking less of donating their money and more of tangible stuff they can really grasp. For example, buying food, preparing a meal, boxing it up, and bringing it over to the home of someone with a new babe or someone who is sick, or a "homebound" elder in our church, or giving it to homeless folks near where we live?
So I guess my broad question is, how can I meet these objectives, with a generally Montessori approach to our family life? What are your thoughts on allowance and other ways to teach about money to kids? When should I start (should I wait, for example, until after a certain math lesson in Montessori), and should I do any money-specific "lessons" in prep for sharing money with my children?
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