Parenting Tips

Mexican American mother comforts her daughter after adult money stress in a warm family room.
Parenting Tip 21: The Sentence That Teaches Kids Money Is Shameful
Children can overhear adult money stress and quietly carry the worry. Use calm words that make money safe to talk about at home. Read more...
Nigerian American boy senses adult money stress while his parents have a private conversation in a warm family room.
Parenting Tip 20: What Your Child Hears When You Argue About Money
Help children feel safe after they overhear adults argue about money. Use a calm repair phrase that keeps adult worries with adults. Read more...
Chinese American mother listens as her young son points to a wish card at a warm family kitchen table.
Parenting Tip 19: Stop Telling Your Kids Spending Is Bad
Spending is not bad. Learn the calm parent phrases that help young children pause, choose, and make a plan without shame. Read more...
Father and young daughter stand in a fall backyard beside apple baskets and a long raised vegetable garden, learning that money is limited and can be planned.
Parenting Tip 18: Why "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" Backfires (And What to Say Instead)
The phrase almost every parent inherited. Here is what it actually teaches your child, why it stops working around age five, and the calmer sentence that teaches the same lesson. Read more...
Asian American mother kneels beside her young daughter in a supermarket produce department, using calm choice language as her daughter holds a small snack pouch.
Parenting Tip 17: 9 Money Phrases to Stop Saying to Your Kids (And What to Say Instead)
Nine common money phrases parents say without thinking, what each one teaches your child, and the calmer sentence to use instead. Save this one. Read more...
Lebanese American mother kneels beside her young son in a toy store aisle, calmly helping him handle a no as he holds a small red toy truck.
Parenting Tip 16: What to Say When You Have to Say No and You Feel Guilty About It
Saying no to your child about money can feel awful. Here is why the guilt shows up, why your no is not harming them, and the words that make it... Read more...
Filipino American mother listens warmly as her young daughter notices a classmate riding a purple scooter after school.
Parenting Tip 15: What to Say When Your Child Says "Everyone Else Has One"
Your child feels left out because a friend has something they do not. Here is how to handle comparison without guilt, shame, or caving. Read more...
Mother listens warmly as her young son asks a question about her work in their home entryway.
Parenting Tip 14: What to Say When Your Child Asks How Much Money You Make
Should you tell your child your salary? Here is a calm, honest answer for ages 3 to 8 that satisfies their curiosity without handing them adult worry. Read more...
Korean American mother smiles as her young daughter happily holds a colorful new doll in a toy store.
Parenting Tip 13: What to Say When Your Child Spends All Their Money and Regrets It
Your child blew their money on something they no longer want. Here is what to say so the regret becomes a lesson instead of shame, and why you should not... Read more...
Black father kneels beside his five year old daughter in a bright grocery candy aisle as he calmly holds a money boundary
Parenting Tip 12: What to Say When Your Child Keeps Asking After You Already Said No
The second ask, the third ask, the whining. Here is how to hold a money boundary calmly, without repeating yourself ten times or losing your patience. Read more...
Blond mother and light brown haired son share a calm conversation in a bright soft blue and sage living room with Luna's Three Money Jars on the coffee table
Parenting Tip 11: What to Say When Your Child Asks "Are We Rich?"
Your child asks if your family is rich. Here is the calm, honest answer that works at any age, plus what to say if they ask if you are poor. Read more...
Indian American grandmother and granddaughter calmly discuss a toy in a grocery store
Parenting Tip 10: What to Say When Your Child Asks for Something at the Store
The exact words to use when your child asks for something at the checkout line. Five calm phrases that hold the same boundary without making money feel scary. Read more...