How Early Lessons Shape Smart Money Habits

Picture this: a preschooler clutching their favorite toy, deciding whether to share it with a friend.
It’s not about money—yet—but in that tiny decision, they’re practicing patience, kindness, and understanding what’s truly important.
Believe it or not, these same values play a powerful role in how they’ll handle money later in life.

Money Habits Begin Shockingly Early

Researchers at the University of Cambridge (Whitebread & Bingham, 2013) found that children form the basic building blocks of money habits—like saving, spending, and decision-making—by around age 7.
That means the lessons we teach in early childhood can shape their financial future decades before they open their first savings account.

Values Are the Root System of Financial Skills

Think of financial skills as the branches of a tree—budgeting, investing, making purchases wisely. Those branches can’t grow strong without a solid root system.
That “root system” is made up of core values:

• Patience → leads to delayed gratification, a skill linked to stronger long-term financial outcomes (remember the famous marshmallow experiment by Walter Mischel?).

• Gratitude → reduces the urge for impulse spending and fosters contentment with what we have.

• Self-worth → helps resist “status spending” to impress others, making room for purposeful money use (Kasser & Ryan, 1996).

When we nurture these values early, kids are better prepared to navigate a world full of tempting choices.

Storytelling Makes Values Stick

Children may not grasp the technicalities of a budget, but they deeply understand a story.
That’s why we created our growing gift values-based children’s book series:

• What Makes Things Special – A sweet lesson on finding meaning beyond price tags.

• I Shine Bright – Encourages kids to embrace their worth and unique strengths.

• Worth the Wait – A playful introduction to the benefits of delayed gratification.

By wrapping big concepts inside colorful stories, we help children emotionally connect with values they’ll carry for life. Order your copies today: https://www.growing.gift/financial-education-books-online-courses/

From Story Time to Smart Money Moves

Here’s how early value lessons translate into future financial health:

• Patience → Kids grow into adults who save, invest, and plan before spending.

• Gratitude → They make mindful purchases instead of chasing “more.”

• Self-worth → They measure success by meaning, not material.

When parents and grandparents make values-based learning part of daily life—through stories, conversations, and example—it plants seeds for confidence, resilience, and wise money choices.

Your Role in Their Future

Every bedtime story, every patient conversation about “waiting your turn,” every celebration of kindness—it all adds up.
And when those lessons are reinforced in fun, engaging ways, the results can last a lifetime.

At growing gift, our mission is to give families tools that make this possible. Our early childhood books are just the first step in helping raise confident, well-rounded kids who will carry these values into every part of their lives. We will soon be adding online educational content designed to grow with your child! Starting at age 3, families will have access to age-appropriate courses, interactive games, and hands-on activities that make learning about money and values both fun and meaningful. Stay tuned—more details are on the way!

The best time to start building these values is now—while little minds and hearts are most open to learning.

Final Thought

The world changes fast.
Trends come and go.
But core values never go out of style.
Teach them early, and you give your child the tools to thrive—in every part of life.

References

• Whitebread, D., & Bingham, S. (2013). Habit Formation and Learning in Young Children. University of Cambridge.

• Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Rodriguez, M. L. (1989). Delay of Gratification in Children. Science, 244(4907), 933–938.

• Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (1996). Further Examining the American Dream: Differential Correlates of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22(3), 280–287.

• Brown, S., & Taylor, K. (2016). Early influences on saving behaviour: Analysis of the British Household Panel Survey. Journal of Banking & Finance, 62, 1–14.