Money habits don’t start when your child opens their first bank account—they start much earlier.
In fact, research from the University of Cambridge shows that by around age 7, kids already have the foundations of saving, spending, and decision-making in place.
What shapes those habits? Not math lessons or allowance charts, but core values like patience, gratitude, and self-worth. A preschooler learning to wait their turn or share a toy is practicing the same skills they’ll later use to avoid impulse spending, save for goals, and measure success by meaning rather than material things.
By weaving these lessons into everyday life—and through engaging tools like stories and conversations—parents and grandparents can give kids the roots they need for a lifetime of wise money choices.
