The Real Risk Isn’t Teaching Money Wrong, It’s Teaching It Too Late

Many parents delay teaching their children about money, even when they know it matters.

Not because they don’t care.

But because they care a lot.

They worry their children are still too young. Too immature. Not ready to understand.

They worry that starting early might confuse them, or worse, pass on the wrong values.

Some even worry that their own money habits aren’t perfect, and they don’t want to highlight that too soon.

So they wait.

And on the surface, waiting feels responsible.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth most parents don’t realise:

Waiting is not neutral.

Why “Later” Feels Safer Than It Actually Is

When parents say, “I’ll teach my child about money when they’re older,” what they’re often hoping is this:

• That maturity will arrive naturally.

• That rational thinking will suddenly switch on.

• That their child will be more receptive, more logical, and easier to guide later on.

It’s a very understandable hope.

But in real life, what usually changes as children grow older isn’t their openness — it’s their sources of influence.

Parents are a child’s earliest and strongest influence.

Over time, that influence doesn’t disappear, but it does compete.

• Friends get louder.

• Social norms get stronger.

• External voices begin to shape what feels “normal”, “acceptable”, or “worth spending on”.

By the time many parents feel their child is finally “ready”, the child is already making decisions, just without a framework to guide them.

Children Are Already Making Money Decisions (Even When We Don’t Call Them That)

One of the biggest misconceptions is that money decisions only begin when children start handling larger sums.

In reality, they begin much earlier, often quietly.

Every meal that is eaten outside the home.

Every commute choice.

Every purchase noticed, requested, or compared.

Every time a child observes how money is exchanged for goods or convenience.

I saw this clearly with my own son.

On his second day of primary school, he discovered the school bookshop. For the first time, he could spend his money freely, without parental oversight. He came home excited, empowered by the ability to choose.

From his perspective, he had exercised independence.

From ours, as parents, we realised he had spent his food money on stationery he didn’t actually need, and went without lunch that day.

No malice.

No irresponsibility.

Just a child deciding without a framework.

And that’s the point.

Children don’t wait to be taught before they decide.

They decide first, then learn from the consequences later.

Why Waiting Gets More Expensive Over Time

When money guidance starts late, parents often find themselves trying to correct habits rather than shape them.

This is where the cost of waiting shows up.

As children grow, peer influence becomes stronger.

Belonging starts to matter more than explanation.

Decisions are increasingly made in social contexts where parents are not present.

This doesn’t mean parents stop mattering, but their leverage changes.

As an educator, I’ve spoken to many parents who express the same concern:

“My teenager doesn’t listen to me anymore.”

That phase is normal.

But it’s also why foundations matter.

Values that are introduced early tend to be internalised.

Rules that arrive late often feel imposed.

So What Does “Early” Actually Mean?

Early does not mean a specific age.

It means readiness in behaviour, not numbers on a calendar.

When a child can:

• Follow simple instructions

• Recognise numbers

• Understand basic exchanges

• Observe and question everyday decisions

They are already capable of beginning to understand money, not as finance, but as choice.

This can start with very simple experiences:

• Handing money over at a counter

• Observing why one option is chosen over another

• Being involved in small, low-stakes family decisions

For example, grocery shopping can become a powerful learning environment.

When children are invited to help decide how to spend a limited amount, even for something as simple as breakfast over a few days, they begin to see trade-offs, priorities, and value.

Not through lectures.

But through lived experience.

That’s what early really looks like.

If You Feel You’ve Started Late, Don’t Panic

Many parents, upon realising this, feel a surge of guilt.

• They wonder if they’ve missed the window.

• If they need to “catch up”.

• If they’ve failed in some way.

None of that is helpful.

This isn’t about blame or speed.

It’s about orientation.

The next step isn’t to do everything yourself or to fix everything at once.

It’s to clarify what values around money you want your child to internalise, and then create environments where those values can be practised safely.

Sometimes that happens at home.

Sometimes it happens outside the home.

Both can work.

What matters is that children don’t have to figure things out alone, through regret.

The Real Risk

The real risk isn’t teaching money wrongly.

It’s assuming that if we wait long enough, the lessons will somehow arrive on their own.

They won’t.

Money decisions begin quietly, early, and in everyday moments.

When we guide those moments with intention, children learn more than how to spend, they learn how to decide.

And that’s a lesson that lasts far longer than any rule ever could.