When the government announced that financial education will be introduced more formally into schools, I was—like many—delighted. I still remember taking a subject called Commerce at school. It was a basic introduction to how money works, but it planted a seed. If today’s students can get even a fraction more than we did, that is progress worth celebrating.

But as I explored in Money and Meaning, our relationship with money is shaped long before we sit in a classroom. It begins at home, through observation, conversations, habits, and the emotional environment we grow up in. This isn’t a criticism of parents. It’s simply the reality of how human behaviour around money forms.

Why Financial Education Matters — but Isn’t Enough

Bringing financial education into schools is unquestionably positive. Young people need to understand the basics:

• how bank accounts work
• what debt really means
• the importance of saving
• how to budget
• how to avoid financial pitfalls

However, knowledge alone doesn’t shape behaviour. If it did, nobody would overspend, panic about money, or fall into debt.

Behaviour comes from beliefs.
And beliefs come from home.

Children learn about money long before anyone teaches them about interest rates or investments. They notice how their parents talk about money, how they handle stress, what gets prioritised, and whether money is a tool, a taboo, or a source of tension.

Financial Education Begins With Everyday Habits

Parents don’t need to be investment experts. You don’t need to explain the bond market over breakfast. But you can help shape a healthy relationship with money through simple, practical habits:

1. Talk openly about money

You don’t need to scare children or expose them to financial stress, but honesty helps.
If money is tight, it’s okay to say so. If a treat isn’t affordable this month, that’s not failure—it’s modelling reality.

2. Set clear boundaries

A Christmas or birthday budget teaches children:
• what they can spend
• how to make choices
• that money has limits
These lessons are more powerful than any worksheet.

3. Pocket money with purpose

A small, realistic amount—linked to age-appropriate responsibilities—creates structure. Saving for something they want teaches delayed gratification far better than theory ever will.

4. Involve them in real life decisions

Taking them shopping, comparing prices, talking through choices—these ordinary moments quietly build financial confidence.

Lessons From Money and Meaning

In my book, I talk about the emotional imprint we carry from childhood. Some of us grew up in households where money was always tight; others where it felt abundant. Some saw arguments, secrecy, or fear around money. Others saw planning, calmness, or generosity.

These early experiences become the blueprint for how we behave as adults—how we spend, save, give, or sometimes avoid money entirely.

No school curriculum can undo that blueprint on its own. But combined with open, healthy conversations at home, it can transform a child’s financial future.

Schools Can Teach Knowledge. Parents Teach Behaviour.

So yes, I’m genuinely pleased that financial education is finally gaining the prominence it deserves. It will equip young people with tools and understanding that can serve them throughout life.

But parents should not assume this replaces their role.

Children need to see money being discussed, managed, and respected in real life, not just in a textbook. They need to understand that money is finite, that choices matter, and that planning is a lifelong habit, not a lesson.

Financial education coming to schools is a wonderful step forward.
But the foundation—the values, the attitudes, the emotional relationship with money—will always begin at home.