Money Matters for Teens

My husband and I were looking for a book to help our children, ages 8 and 5, understand the concept and value of money. We had started an allowance but felt like they were more eager to spend the money than to care what it was spent on and when it was lost they didn't really care. We have since stopped the allowance and decided to go through this book first. We feel that this book is a wonderful resource to teach Christian principles to children, such as stewardship (what we own is a gift from God and we need to take care of it), giving, being content, and spending wisely. I don't believe the book is geared toward teenagers, but instead toward the younger child. It is written in an engaging way, using a cat named Larry to tell stories and impress principles. Each chapter ends with a short Bible study as well. Both of my children have enjoyed and benefited from the content so far. I'd recommend it to anyone wanted to teach Biblical principles to their children regarding money.

We bought this book to help teach our 7 year old how to manage her money. Where the book met expectations were the areas of values and healthy ways to think of money : Money isn't ours. We're stewards of God's money and therefore, we should spend it wisely, etc. Where it didn't meet expectations, is that it didn't really provide a sample plan for how to allocate resources. While certainly, the greatest issue in dealing with money is mental -- getting your head around the idea that you have to live within your means and that you don't have to have everything NOW or just because someone else has it -- there is also a need for concrete examples....Given the above problem, I would still recommend this book as something to work through with a child because those psychological issues about spending are significant enough that they can make the difference between a someday adult with healthy attitudes about money and someone who is in debt, unhappy yet still wanting MORE! In that respect, this book is aces.