Find out if your children have some ideas how they could help out the neighbor and make some money doing it. Mowing their lawn or other various chores many neighbors are willing to pay for and help out your kids. The tasks don’t have to take over their whole week, but if they start small and begin generating an income it will start to spark their own drive and creativity. Walk with your kids over to a neighbor’s house you are friendly with and introduce them, but let them make the proposal to help out. It will give them a sense of ownership for helping.

Hopefully the answer is yes! A lot of us have the tendency to be pack rats and keep every stitch of clothing or toy we have bought for our children. But rarely do we use many of these old items anymore. Wouldn’t you and your children rather sell off unused but still good items and turn them into cash instead? So clean out the closets, attic and basement with your children and show them how they could be making some extra money by selling off old stuff.

This is another great question to find out what kind of charitable activities your kids are into. It can also be a great opportunity to help out the neighbors or a family friend. Perhaps as a weekly charitable act your kids can help the neighbor pick the acorns up off their lawn, help an elderly person with some of their groceries or a number of different things. Think of it as a way to instill philanthropy. Take their ideas into consideration and try to make them happen first before suggesting some of your own.

Kids of different ages could have different ideas. The important thing is to listen to what they might do and suggest some ideas of your own. Maybe they can cut down on the water bill by taking quicker showers or cutting back costs on gas for the car by consolidating trips.

It’s possible they come up with an idea of their own that you might have never thought of and is quite good. Their idea could also be to not cut down on bills, but bring in additional income and how they might help do that. Whatever it is, listen and work with their ideas.

Children usually react in two different ways; they share their new toys with their friends, or they hold it over them and taunt them with it. Most of it is a reasonably good natured competitive spirit, but you should take the opportunity whenever possible to teach your kids to be sharers and to let others enjoy the benefits they have received. It is a philosophy they can use throughout their life and is essential in being an entrepreneur and a good steward of the business community.

Giving back has many of its own rewards and it is never too early to being learning that lesson.

Your kids may shrug off this question or not. It is always good to know how your children react when their friends get cool new toys though. Now I’m not advocating every time your children’s friends get a toy to go out and buy them one too – exactly the opposite.

Knowing how your kids react to this kind of influencer though is important. Maybe you can do one of your free and fun activities with them to take their mind off this and show them they are special in their own right. This will help them learn to value more of what matters and less about every new bauble or toy.

For most kids it will be. After all, their favorite charity isn’t posting billboards and ads at every turn. But instilling a sense of charity and showing them how to give back to the community should be an important part of their life. Find out if they have any desire to help one cause or another and try to put it into action.

Visit a soup kitchen and help out if that is what they like to do, or donate old clothes to the Salvation Army. Try to encourage whatever their charitable passions are and they will reap the rewards from helping throughout their lives.

Your kids may see the situation quite differently than you do! But sometimes the way they ask for things are not appropriate or the best way to reasonably ask for them. Try to instill in them a sense of self-ownership and make them earn what it is they want. That can be through letting them control their own set spending limits or coaching them when they are being obstinate, instead of just bowing down and purchasing things for them. Whatever your method if you can make them realize the value of the things they want, they will be better prepared to function in the real working world.

You may or may not have any idea what the answer to this question will be. It could be an expensive and flashy toy, or it could be a treasured stuffed animal or other item from when they were younger. What this will give you is a good bearing on some of the things your child values. Ask them their top five. Try to show them that some of the best things they ever bought might not necessarily be the most expensive. Think of examples to help them find other items like these.

Hopefully they answer yes! But considering you have probably done most of the buying for your kids, they may not care or really appreciate a sale. Saving money should always be a rewarding experience.

A good way to start your children learning is by giving them a set limit card of their own, just like the one we offer here at YOUTHpreneur. Something like the UPside card can help your children appreciate the value of a dollar a bit more. Check it out today to learn more.