AUGUST 2026
- Parent Line
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
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Money Matters: Teaching Keiki Healthy Money Habits
"Mommy, just get money from the machine." — Lama Chang
My daughter was about seven years old when this happened. I was digging through my wallet, looking for a few dollars to grab us a snack, and mumbled, "Ugh, I have no cash." Without missing a beat, she said, "Mommy, just get money from the machine." I giggled, but then it hit me, I hadn't taught her the most basic idea of how money actually works. So we bought our snack with my debit card, sat down, and I told myself I needed to talk to her about finance. But how do you break that down for a seven-year-old? Instead, I did what a lot of us do. Ignored it.
Months later, we were at the park and she asked, "Mom, how do I get a home like that, on the mountain?", pointing to Wilhelmina Rise. This time, I couldn't brush it off, or let her keep believing money just spits out of a machine, or that things get paid for with a simple tap of a card. So I sat with her and tried to explain the cycle of money as simply as I could: you work for it, you save it, and then you can buy it.
She thought about that for a moment, then asked, "How do I turn my $5 into $10?" Which, amazingly, is the next part of the cycle — investing. And that's where I got stuck. Honestly, I wasn't a homeowner at the time, and I didn't know the first thing about investing myself. Even more humbling, I realized I wasn't practicing good budgeting in front of my own kids. If I wanted them to understand money, I had to start living it out loud, not just explaining it in a moment of panic at the park.
So I decided to start doing a few simple things to open up the conversation.
First, I started asking subtle questions like, "If you had $20, what would you do with it? And what would it be worth a year from now?" There were no right or wrong answers. I just wanted to see how they thought…would they save some, spend it without a second thought, or use it to make more money down the road?
That naturally led to the next topic: earning potential. Which jobs pay well without requiring more education, and which ones require education but offer better long-term pay, weighed against cost of living and the lifestyle they wanted? These constant questions helped shape their sense of what they wanted for themselves and their future. Simple conversations that pushed them to think independently, to look things up for themselves, to ask their teachers or professionals in the field. We'd talk about people who'd built successful lives and careers, and try to trace back how they actually got there.
One common thread we noticed, as we reflected on the people we admired, was giving back, and that aligns with one of our family values: to be as generous as our aliʻi. As recipients of the generosity of Princess Pauahi, Queen Liliʻuokalani, and Prince Kūhiō, we're able to exist here, and so it's our kuleana to give back when we can, in whatever way we can — freely, without expecting anything in return.
Fast forward to today: I have one child about to graduate college and another entering senior year of high school, and the money talk never ends. Talking about money is hard. But if you make it "the norm," your family grows comfortable with it over time.
'Ohana Safety Tip: Online Safety Starts at Home
Help your keiki stay safe online by teaching them never to share personal information with people they don't know. This includes their full name, home address, phone number, school name, passowrds, or any banking or payment information.
Remind them that not everyone online is who they say they are, even if they seem friendly.
Encourage your child to come to a trusted adult if someone asks for personal information or makes them feel uncomfortable.
Having regular conversations about online safety can help protect your family's privacy and prevent scams or identity theft.
Books We Love This Month
A Chair for My Mother
By: Vera B. Williams
Lemonade in Water
By: Emily Jenkins
Save Me a Seat
By: Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan
'Ohana Activity: Grocery Budget Challenge
Turn your next grocery trip into a fun learning experience! Before heading out to the store, give your keiki a small budget (for example, $10-$15) to choose healthy snacks for the family. Encourage them to compare prices, read unit prices, and look at different brands to find the best value. Talk about the differences between wants and needs and how making thoughtful choices can help your family stay within a budget. This simple activity helps children build money management skills, practice basic math, and learn that planning ahead can help stretch every dollar.
