In the fall of 1983, I was eight years old, fresh from Mexico City and settling into Colorado Springs, and my parents decided that I should get a paper route. I can still feel the crisp air as I pedaled through neighborhoods, tossing newspapers onto porches.
But what’s even more memorable than those crisp morning rides is that first paycheck. It wasn’t just money—it was a revelation. Earning my own cash changed how I saw every dollar. Now, as a parent, I’m passing those lessons to my kids. My paper route shaped my approach to teaching them about money, value, and character.
Earning It the Hard Way
Delivering papers wasn’t glamorous, but it was mine. Every folded newspaper, every early morning, added up to dollars that felt different because I’d worked for them. That paper route, which I kept until my senior year of high school, taught me that money has weight when you earn it yourself.
With my kids, I try to recreate that connection. They start with chores—making beds, washing dishes—because contributing to our home comes first. Once they’ve got those down, they can take on extra jobs, like cleaning the car for a dollar or organizing the garage for five. It’s not just about the cash; it’s about tying effort to reward. They learn money doesn’t appear magically—it’s the result of showing up and putting in the work.
If you’re a parent, start small. Let your kids earn a little through tasks that challenge them. Birthdays and Christmas might bring cash gifts, but the real lesson hits when they see their work turn into money. It’s the first step to understanding value, not as a number, but as something they’ve earned.
Stewardship: It’s Not Really Mine
Here’s a tough one I’ve had to learn and now teach: the money in my hands isn’t fully mine. It’s a stewardship, a responsibility to manage wisely. God gives us resources to use thoughtfully. I teach my kids to split their money: some for themselves, some to bless others, and some to give back, like tithing to our church.
It’s not about a strict 10 percent rule, though that’s a guide we use. It’s about fostering a generous heart. Kids naturally cling to their earnings, but I want them to see money as a shared gift, like tending a garden. I’m trying to raise kids who nurture, not hoard.
At home, we use jars labeled for spending, saving, and giving. When my kids donate a dollar to a cause or buy a friend a snack, I celebrate it. It’s a step toward seeing money as a tool for good, not just a way to grab more stuff.
Character: Shaping a Money Mindset
For me, money amplifies who you are, so I focus on building character traits in my kids: self-control, patience, humility, empathy, and responsibility.
Self-control is huge. Kids are emotional, and money can spark impulsive urges. One Christmas, my son tore into gifts he’d been dying for, only to ask the next day, “Can we buy more?” I stopped him. We talked about why the excitement faded so fast and what contentment means. By guiding him to think, “Do I need this? Can I enjoy what I have?” I helped him tame the urge to spend.
Patience is another lesson. Saving for a bigger goal, like a new toy, builds grit in a world of instant everything. Humility keeps them grounded. I remind them that having money doesn’t make them better than anyone else. It’s a chance to serve, not show off.
Empathy is personal for me. As a kid, I clung to every penny from my paper route, thinking, “Why should I give this away? They can work, too.” But seeing others’ needs, like a friend without lunch money, changed me. Now, I push my kids to give with discernment, balancing generosity with practicality.
Responsibility ties it together. Budgeting, even simply, teaches them to track their money. We use the jar or envelope system and use cash to make it real. Watching the “fun fund” shrink after a trip to the arcade shows them that money isn’t infinite and that choices matter.
Making It Real
You don’t need a paper route to teach these lessons. I started where I was. My kids earn through chores, use jars to sort their money, and learn to pause when they want something shiny. When they beg for a new toy, I ask, “What’s driving this? Can we wait a week?” I share my own choices—like skipping a fancy coffee to save—to show them how it’s done.
My goal isn’t to raise penny-pinchers, but kids who see money as a tool, not a boss. By teaching value, stewardship, and character, I’m giving them something better than wealth: the wisdom to use it well.
RELATED CONTENT: 5 Bible Verses About Money Every Christian Should Know
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Dr. Danny Huerta is a bilingual psychologist and licensed clinical social worker who oversees Focus on the Family’s parenting initiatives. For many years, he has provided families with practical, biblical, and research-based parenting advice on topics such as media discernment, discipline, communication, mental health, conflict resolution, and healthy sexuality. He is passionate about coming alongside parents as they raise contributors instead of consumers in a culture desperately in need of God’s kingdom.
Dr. Huerta has served families through private practice and at the ministry for more than 15 years and is the author of the book 7 Traits of Effective Parenting.
