When it’s time to sit down at the dinner table for a family discussion, the topics are usually the same: school, sports, schedules, “are we having chicken again tomorrow?”

Yet one thing that rarely comes up is money, how it works, how to manage it, and how to build a financially healthy life.

It’s not because parents don’t care. Many are financially illiterate themselves or simply uncomfortable having the conversation. So they think, “My kids will figure it out later, once they’re grown.”

Unfortunately, later rarely comes. By the time money matters for them, the stakes are already high: credit cards, rent, loans. Mismanaging these may haunt them for decades.

Money management is a skill, just like reading or cooking. Before we could read, we learned the alphabet and practiced phonetics. Before we could cook a meal, we learned how to turn on the stove and understand how ingredients work together. Money works the same way. You learn the basics, then build on them over time

Structure is the Issue, not Neglect

Most parents want their kids to become financially confident adults. They’re just overwhelmed by the topic. It feels enormous, like something that requires lectures, spreadsheets, or a finance degree.

But kids don’t learn from lectures or complicated spreadsheets. They learn from:

• Everyday choices
• Small conversations
• Watching how decisions are made

If money is never discussed, kids still learn something: that it’s confusing, stressful, or something to avoid altogether. And that can create real problems later. Not understanding how a credit card works is exactly how people fall into credit card debt.

Getting Started Matters More than Perfection

Starting the conversation is more important than perfecting it. You don’t need to teach investing strategies or explain the economy. Simply helping your child think about money in a healthy, structured way, one small conversation at a time, is enough. Money confidence isn’t built in a single talk. It’s built over years of small moments that say: “This is normal, you can understand this, you can make good decisions”.

Teaching Money in the AI Era

Parents today actually have an advantage. We don’t have to come up with every explanation on our own, and we don’t have to be experts.

Tools like AI can help us:

• Explain ideas more clearly
• Create short stories and games that reinforce learning
• Turn everyday situations into teaching moments

That means money conversations don’t have to be long, formal, or intimidating. They can be short, practical, and ongoing, while also helping kids build familiarity with AI, a skill they’ll need for the future.

If You’re Looking for a Starting Point

A lack of early financial education holds many people back when they become adults. That’s why I put together a free guide called Family Finance Night.

It’s designed for parents who want to teach their kids how money works in a fun, easy, and practical way in about 20 minutes per week.

You can download the guide by filling out the form below or clicking the above link.