Teaching Your Kids About Money - Setting the Financial Thermostat

A key concept in teaching your children about money is the awareness that as an adult your past programming determines every thought that forms in your mind. With this knowledge we can give our children positive messages and a healthy financial conditioning.
As a child our conditioning, including our relationship with money takes place in three main ways:

• Verbal Programming – What did you hear about money when you were young
• Modelling Behaviour – what did you see when you were young?
• Significant Incidents – what did you experience about money, success and wealthy people when you were young?

Verbal Programming

Growing up, did you ever hear phrases such as “Money is the root of all evil”, “Money doesn’t grow on trees” or “Save your money for a rainy day”? Or references to successful people as “filthy rich”? Advertisers know that repeated exposure to the same message forms a strong memory and these negative phrases about money act in the same way.
Every statement you ever heard about money, particularly as a young child, remains lodged in your subconscious mind as part of the blueprint that is running your financial life. It is estimated that up to 96% of our actions are controlled by our subconscious minds. It is rarely something you are aware of, yet subconscious beliefs control thinking, thinking leads to decisions and decisions precede actions.

Modelling Behaviour

As children we learn by observing our parents and other important influencers. In order to be ‘loved’ we follow what they do and copy their behaviour. These habits and behaviours they displayed are likely to be part of your programming.
Because the financial world has changed, including for instance the availability of credit, we may not display the same actions as our parents, yet our deep routed attitudes and beliefs are likely to be similar.
Set an example to your children by having a savings jar or by keeping your financial paperwork in order.

Significant Incidents

Significant events around money can leave permanent scars on the subconscious mind. As a child for example, witnessing a particularly heated argument around money, or being laughed at by friends for not being able to afford the latest brand of shoes or cool toy can leave a lasting impression. Sometimes these incidents can serve as a powerful motivator, other times they act to form a negative association with money or success.
Your internal money blueprint acts like a thermostat. Research has show that our unconscious programming will keep us in between an acceptable range. When finances get too low we will be spurred into action and get creative to find a new job or generate new clients. Conversely if finances get too high and we will sabotage ourselves, perhaps by not turning up to important meetings or easing up on our marketing efforts.

For adults there are numerous books, audios, techniques and seminars designed to reprogram your subconscious mind and re set the financial thermostat. But knowing what an effort it takes to undo our childhood conditioning, isn’t it wise to learn these lessons and create a healthy financial environment for our children today?