When you help children save, it doesn’t matter how much money they have. It’s about preparing them to make smart decisions and giving them skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.
Mayra Williams, CCUFC® is a branch manager at Everence® Federal Credit Union in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In her role, she leads branch associates who provide exceptional customer service, loan products and banking services to credit union members. Mayra values being able to work with a dedicated team to help members achieve their financial goals.
In her free time, Mayra enjoys hiking in Shenandoah National Park and spending time with her husband and pets.
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Every child remembers the excitement of finding a few dollars in a birthday card, earning money to help around the house, or getting cash from grandparents during the holidays. The first thought is often: What can I buy? This is completely natural.
Learning to save isn’t just about setting up a bank account. It’s about helping children become patient, set goals, and understand that today’s choices can shape tomorrow’s opportunities. These lessons don’t suddenly appear when a teenager gets a first job or leaves college. One small habit is built at a time.
The good news is that teaching kids to save doesn’t require complicated lessons or financial knowledge. Some of the best opportunities come from everyday life.
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Everyday moments become lifelong lessons
Children learn by observing the adults around them. They notice when parents save for something instead of buying it straight away. You hear conversations about budgeting for a family vacation or comparing prices at the supermarket. These everyday moments quietly teach children the difference between wants and needs, the value of planning ahead, and the satisfaction that comes from achieving a goal.
Families can easily integrate saving into everyday life:
- Encourage children to save some of their birthday or holiday money before spending the rest.
- Help them set a savings goal for something they really want instead of buying on impulse.
- Encourage older children and teens to save some of the money they earn from babysitting, mowing lawns, summer jobs, or other part-time jobs.
- Instead of another toy, grandparents can make a birthday or holiday contribution to their child’s savings account. It’s a gift that can continue to grow long after the celebration is over.
- Celebrate progress. As children watch their savings grow, they realize that even small deposits can lead to something meaningful.
One of the best moments is watching children get excited about saving. Many love making deposits and watching their account balance grow. As their savings grow, so does their enthusiasm. They begin to realize that every deposit brings them closer to what they hoped for. Saving isn’t about giving something up. It’s about working towards something that is important to them.
It’s never too early to start
Many people assume that children should start learning about money as soon as they are old enough to earn a paycheck. In reality, healthy financial habits can start much earlier.
Children can have a savings account from birth. While babies obviously don’t learn about budgets, parents, grandparents and other loved ones can start building a financial foundation long before a child understands the value of a dollar. As children grow, these early savings become opportunities for conversations about setting goals, making decisions, and preparing for the future.
A partner for families
Families don’t have to teach these lessons alone. Everence Federal Credit Union’s Youth Program is designed to support parents, grandparents and caregivers with age-appropriate resources that help children and teens learn how to save, budget, set goals and understand how everyday decisions can shape their future.
The program focuses on more than dollars and cents. It helps young people build lifelong money skills that will last them from childhood into adulthood.
Whether a child is making their first deposit or learning to manage money through a summer job, each step helps lay the foundation for future financial well-being.
Save the date! Youth savings party
Looking for a fun way to encourage the young saver in your life?
When: August 3rd to 5th, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Where: Everence Federal Credit Union 841 Mount Clinton Pike, Suite B Harrisonburg, VA 22802
What to expect:
- Activities, crafts, snacks and giveaways to make saving fun.
- Children and young people who pay at least $15 You will receive a surcharge on a new or existing Everence youth savings account $5 deposited into their account.
- Scotty’s handmade Italian ice cream for families to enjoy while supplies last.
- A fun, family-friendly atmosphere that encourages children to develop healthy savings habits.
Next time you receive a birthday card with a few dollars in it, think of it as more than a gift. It could be the start of a habit that builds confidence for a lifetime.
To learn more about the Youth Savings Celebration, visit everence.com/youth-spars-celebration.
To learn more about Everence Federal Credit Union’s youth program or the banking services available in Harrisonburg, visit everence.com/virginia.
Listen to Mayra’s full conversation here.
https://rocktownnow.com/news/218812-more-than-a-piggy-bank-helping-kids-build-confidence-with-money/
