Money is an area that many adults struggle with. They do not know how to budget properly. Many times they are struggling financially before they come to a realization and learn how to slowly climb out of the situation that they find themselves in. As parent’s we don’t want our children to repeat our financial mistakes. So we want to work hard to teach them how to handle their money properly. Clever Dough Kids has a program that will help you with this. Teaching Children About Money, by Amanda van der Gulik, has been a wonderful addition to our studies. This program is a 12 month course, which is set up in 12 modules. Each module teaches a new money lesson component. It can be completed in fewer months, depending on the speed you choose to go through it.

As our boys get older, the struggles they are facing due to their disabilities has become more apparent. I have come to the realization that life skills is definitely what we need to be concentrating on. Our younger son truly believes that no matter how many times you put that little card in the ATM, money will just keep popping out. This is a great concern for me.

Teaching Children About Money is an online program that takes your family through a financial journey that will help raise your child’s money IQ. But it addresses information for not only your children, but includes help for parents also. Topics on whether or not to give an allowance are covered.

The program is broken down into twelve different modules. Each module has been broken down into both video and book learning. This allows families with students and parents with different learning styles can all benefit from the program.

Your subscription to Teaching Children About Money gives you access to other financial books by Clever Dough Kids. These include the Wealth Mentality Stories, The Clever Dough Challenge, Allowance Secrets: To Give or Not?, and also Xanthe & Quinn’s Wealth Adventures. But instead of just reading each book, Teaching Children About Money refers to each of these titles throughout your course of study. You can download the chapters needed or the entire books, whichever you prefer. You can also download the audio files for the videos that you are watching for future reference or to listen to on the go.

Depending on how much time you spend each week on financial studies, some of the Modules could be done in a week, while others might last just a bit longer. The time depends on how much extra work you are doing in possible lifestyle adjustments you are making as you are applying what you are learning in your own life.

The user interface for Teaching Children About Money is wonderful. It was very easy to use. The video links are embedded on your page. The book downloads are direct links, that are just point and click. You can read them on your page or print them for future reference. An older child could easily use this program independently, but then you as the parent would not get as much out of it.

Brayden and Joey have had their eyes opened more to money and responsibilities that are involved. They have been reminded that it doesn’t just appear out of nowhere into our bank accounts. You need to work for it and you cannot spend more than you bring in without consequences. The girls are younger, but they are learning also. This has been a great addition to our classroom studies.

Teaching Children About Money is truly a family program. There are great reminders for us as adults and wonderful way to encourage your child’s future financial independence and success.

—Product review by Renita Kuehner, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, December, 2016