FCNB is inviting parents, caregivers, teachers and community leaders to talk about money and build financial confidence with their children on April 14 to mark Talk With Our Kids About Money Day.
“Teaching your children money basics is as important as helping them develop reading, writing and math skills,” says Marissa Sollows, Director of Education and Communications at FCNB. “Financial literacy is an essential life skill. Kids don’t automatically pick up good money habits—we have to teach them, and it’s never too early to start.”
Talk With Our Kids About Money Day is part of a national program to educate young people about financial health and help them build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make responsible financial decisions.
“The national awareness day is a great starting point, but it’s important to make these conversations about money a habit of everyday life,” Sollows says.
A 2020 worldwide survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that teens who talked about finances with their parents, even just once a week, scored significantly higher in financial literacy than those who did not.
Knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. FCNB has created free online resources to give parents, caregivers, and teachers a fun and easy way to incorporate conversations about money into daily life through games and activities. Some of these resources include:
- Parent and caregiver’s toolkit: Includes How to Raise Financially Literate Children guide, Make it Count parent resource on a variety of topics, budgeting tools, and other relevant links.
- Teacher’s toolkit: Includes Financial Literacy: A Guide for New Brunswick Teachers, Make it Count teacher resource, Make it Count curriculum guide, Teacher e-book and Smart Tips e-book.
- Make it Count video series: Instructional videos tailored to elementary, middle and high school students covering financial literacy topics such as the meaning of value, debit and credit cards, and money management.
- Virtual classroom presentations: Let FCNB do the work! Contact fcnb@fcnb.ca to book a free virtual classroom presentation, with content tailored to all ages and classrooms.
“At FCNB, we hope providing the tools to raise financially literate children will be a key to a financially responsible future in New Brunswick,” says Sollows.
In addition to Talk With Our Kids About Money Day, FCNB will be celebrating Youth Week from April 12 to 17 by sharing resources on social media to help New Brunswickers continue the conversation about money year round. Follow FCNB on Facebook for more information.