Kids learn about money by watching us. If taps and swipes make things appear, they assume money is magic and limitless.

But it is important to teach children about the value of money and the importance of saving. It is also vital to make saving feel like progress, not punishment.

When pocket money lands, help them put some aside first so spending does not eat it all. For example, when it comes to saving start with a clear jar and a named goal. A jar labelled “New boots” beats a vague instruction to save. Each coin or note that drops in is proof that waiting works.

If they have a savings goal in mind encourage them further by saying you will match them rand-for-rand on whatever they save. This will give them further incentive to save. Even if you choose a different approach and don’t match them exactly, saying you will top-up what they’ve saved will help – ten rand on a hundred can feel like magic to a child.

Create chances to earn beyond ordinary chores. Washing the car or helping in a neighbour’s garden turns effort into income and shows that money follows value given, not just parental kindness.

Take them shopping with a list and cash. Ask them to choose between two brands using the unit price on the shelf label. Let them keep any change if they come in under budget. That small win imprints the trade-off instinct.

When impulse strikes for a toy, use a 72-hour wish rule. If they still want it after three days, revisit it. Most urges fade.

Open a basic savings account in their name with you as guardian and show them the statement. The screen becomes the jar at home.

If you are saving with a timeline of ten or more years, consider a tax-efficient savings vehicle in your own name (like a tax-free savings account) and show them this progress too. Seeing how one’s money can grow, even from saving small, regular amounts will also build a savings habit and a healthy relationship with money.

In high school, give them a budget and let them handle an expense, such as cellphone data or lunch and step back. If they blow it early, resist the urge to bail them out and help them come up with a plan to deal with the shortfall together. Natural consequences teach well in safe settings.

Children learn as much from what we do as from what we say. When they see calm budgeting instead of panic, and saving instead of instant spending, they learn that money is a tool, not a trap. The goal is not to make them fearful of money but fluent in how it works. So model the steady, thoughtful habits you want them to copy.