Talking to children about money does not need a big sit-down. Choose your child’s stage and up to three topics, and you will get a short plan for each: a question to start with, an everyday moment to use, one thing to try this week, and what to say if it goes wrong. It is free, and nothing you type leaves your device.
Build your plan
Your plan
Money conversation plan, made with the free tool at heavenecohub.com/tools/money-talk-planner/
Choose your child’s stage and at least one topic, and your plan will appear here.
Your choices and notes are kept only in this browser on this device. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Why little and often works
Children learn about money mostly by watching what happens around them: the shopping, the bills, the birthday presents, the games on a tablet. MoneyHelper’s Talk, Learn, Do resource for parents and carers is built on that idea. It suggests talking with children about what money is and where it comes from, helping them learn by getting involved in everyday decisions about spending and saving, and doing simple games and activities together.
This planner turns that into small, specific steps. Each plan is written for the stage your child is at, uses a moment that is already in your week, and includes words for when it does not go to plan, because some of the most useful lessons come from a choice a child wishes they had made differently.
How to use it
Choose the stage that sounds most like your child. Every child is different, so read the next stage too if it fits better.
Pick one to three topics. One is plenty to start with.
Try the plan during the week. Afterwards, jot down how it went in the notes box.
Print it or save it as a PDF to stick on the fridge or share with another adult at home.
A note on spending in games and apps
The controls that matter most for in-app purchases are on the device and in the app store: most let you turn purchases off, ask for a password each time, or set a spending limit. Heaven does not have a per-child spending limit of its own today, so those device and app-store settings are the ones to rely on.
Questions
When should I start talking to my child about money?
Earlier than many parents expect. MoneyHelper encourages talking to children about money from when they are small, because money habits start forming in the early school years. A first conversation can be as simple as sorting the shopping into things you need and things that are treats.
What is Talk, Learn, Do?
Talk, Learn, Do is a free resource from MoneyHelper for parents and carers. It suggests talking with children about what money is and where it comes from, helping them learn through everyday decisions about spending and saving, and doing simple games and activities together. This planner follows the same everyday, little-and-often approach.
How much pocket money should I give?
This planner does not suggest an amount, because what works depends on your family. What tends to matter more is agreeing what pocket money is for, being consistent, and letting your child make some choices with it, including ones they later wish they had made differently.
How do I stop my child spending money in games and apps?
Start with the parental controls on the device, the app store and any games console, which can turn in-app purchases off or ask for a password each time. Do not leave a card saved where your child can use it without asking. Then talk about it: the online topic in this planner gives you a way in.