You Don't Need to Be Good With Money to Teach Your Kids About It

We all want more. We just never ask why.

Everything we teach kids about money is about how much.

How much to save. How much to spend. How much to give.

But somehow, it never feels like enough.

Because if you don't know what you want, no amount will ever be enough.

We assume we know what we want. But what if we don't?

The Awesome Stuff starts one step earlier. With a pause, and one question:

Is this my Awesome Stuff?

Sometimes the answer is yes.

But sometimes it's not. And the thing you wanted a moment ago just doesn't matter as much anymore.

I took my boys shopping once and gave them each some money. I told them to spend it however they wanted. But before they bought anything, they had to pause and ask: Is this my Awesome Stuff?

Will picked up a toy plane. I watched him pause. I watched him ask the question.

And then he bought the plane.

At first, I was a little bummed. Then I realized it didn't matter.

He paused. He thought about it. He bought it on purpose.

I wasn't trying to teach my kids not to buy things. I was teaching them to notice.

Now Will is a senior in high school. Over the years, I've watched him develop a clear sense of what's important to him. He doesn't seem caught up in chasing trends or wanting things just because his friends have them.

He knows what matters to him. And what doesn't.

That's what I want for my kids. Not perfect decisions. Thoughtful ones.

Try This With Your Kids Tonight

Ask them:

What's something you love even more than a room full of presents?

Let them answer. Don't rush the why.

Then tell them about something you really wanted that wasn't as amazing as you thought.

Ask them:

What's something you really wanted, but didn't like as much once you got it?

Then:

What's something you got that you loved just as much a year later?

That's it. Don't explain the lesson. Let them find their own answers.

Because the goal isn't to tell kids what's worth wanting.
It's to help them figure it out for themselves.

Start With a Conversation, Not a Lesson

That's the idea behind The Awesome Stuff Homeschool Program.

Five short conversations about spending, saving, investing, giving, and building a life you love. About 15 minutes each.

You'll get The Golden Quest, a story that brings the ideas to life, along with Discovery Cards, a parent guide, an ebook, an audiobook, and Reflection Pages for your kids.

One program for the whole family. One card works for everyone. Younger kids keep it simple. Older kids go deeper. And sometimes, the youngest child's answer is the one that hits hardest.

The Awesome Stuff Homeschool Program is an approved vendor for Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts, so eligible families can use their EFA funds to purchase it.

You don't need to be good with money to teach your kids about it.

You just have to wonder about it out loud, with your kids.