The Importance of Teaching Our Kids About Hard Work and Money
During their recent summer break, Alessi watched me prepare for another day at work. With big, curious eyes, she asked, “Mom, why do you have to go to work three times a week now? Can’t you stay home and play with me and Basti?” I smiled and gently explained, “I go to work to take care of you and our family. When we work, we earn money, which helps us buy the things we need, like food, rent, clothes, and the things we want, like your toys and our family trips.”
Teaching kids about the importance of work ethics and money starts with explaining the connection between work, money, and providing for the family. However, engaging experiences like a trip to KidZania take these lessons to another level, teaching kids money management skills, budgeting, and the value of work in an interactive environment.
KidZania: Learning About Work and Money Through Play
KidZania offers a fun, immersive way for kids to experience various careers and the concept of earning money. It’s an innovative city built for kids, complete with streets, buildings, and shops. Children can role-play as firefighters, doctors, couriers, investment officers, and more. Each profession gives them KidZos (KidZania’s currency) for their hard work, allowing them to experience the satisfaction of earning money and deciding how to spend it.
Not only does KidZania teach kids about earning money, but it also introduces them to saving, budgeting, and spending wisely. Children can choose to spend their hard-earned KidZos on activities like attending fashion school, entrepreneurship camp, or a flight simulation. These money lessons for children emphasize the importance of work ethic and financial literacy in a playful, engaging way.
A Day at KidZania: Alessi and Basti’s Experience
One day during their school break, Alessi and Basti’s Lola (grandmother) took them to KidZania. The excitement was palpable as we planned the trip, knowing it would be a full day of fun and learning. We explored KidZania’s website the night before to see the available professions. Basti wanted to be a pilot, a firefighter, and a sustainability engineer, while Alessi was excited to be a scientist and a doctor.
We took it a step further and made sure our investment, the ticket price, would be maximized. Kidzania operates from 10 am to 6 pm. We agreed to be there as soon as it opens and that for the first five hours, Alessi and Basti will only focus on earning as many KidZos as possible and then reward themselves by spending the KidZos in the last three hours. “You have to work hard first,” I reminded them, “then you can enjoy the fruits of your labor in the afternoon.”
From 10 am to 3 pm, the kids focused on earning KidZos, only spending money on lunch. By 3 o’clock, both kids were buzzing with excitement about how to spend their KidZos. Alessi attended fashion school, designing and sewing clothes before showcasing her work on the runway. Basti, meanwhile, was captivated by the flight school, going through the plane simulator repeatedly. When the kids got home, they couldn’t stop talking about their experience, reliving every single activity they did that day.
Extending the Lesson at Home
Seeing how much Alessi and Basti learned about money management for kids at KidZania, we decided to extend the lesson at home. We introduced a family project to teach the values of hard work, saving, and budgeting. Together, we created a system where the kids could earn money by doing extra chores, separate from their regular tasks. We set “salaries” for each task— example, helping with groceries earned them $0.50, while giving a 15-minute massage to Mom or Dad earned them $1.50.
We also created a visual guide with pictures of treats and bigger-ticket items, like trips to KidZania, attaching price tags to each.
The kids were thrilled as they tracked their earnings, spending, and savings, learning valuable lessons about budgeting and financial education for children.
Why Teach Kids About Money?
This family project is teaching Alessi and Basti critical money management skills for children, such as hard work and delayed gratification. Teaching kids about the value of work helps them understand why their parents go to work every day and encourages mindfulness about money from an early age. Educating children about personal finance, saving money, investing, and even entrepreneurship set the foundation for their future financial literacy and success.
By integrating these lessons into daily life, parents can help children learn the benefits of teaching kids about money, such as understanding taxes and money management. Kids learning about work and careers through practical experiences, like Alessi and Basti, they can develop a healthy relationship with money and work ethic. Through play and real-life applications, children not only learn the importance of work and money but also grow emotionally and socially.
Conclusion: Teaching Kids the Value of Hard Work and Money
Teaching kids about work ethic and financial literacy is crucial in today’s world. By making these lessons enjoyable and interactive—whether through play like KidZania or home-based activities—parents can instill important values that will benefit their children in the long run. Alessi and Basti’s story highlights the impact of teaching kids about budgeting, earning, saving, and more. Through these life lessons, they are better prepared to handle money, work, and the responsibilities that come with both.
