The #1 Mistake Parents Make With Money (And It’s Not What You Think)

It’s not about saving. It’s about identity, visibility, and trust.

Most kids grow up thinking money is something you spend.

Not something you own.

Not something you grow.

Not something you learn to manage with intention.

But that’s not their fault.

It’s because most parents keep money invisible.

They treat it like something “too complicated” or “for adults only.”

So by the time the stakes are high, their kid is 18, 25, 30…and flying blind.

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I didn’t want that.

I didn’t want my daughter to just inherit money.

I wanted her to understand it.

To feel ownership.

To build confidence with it, not confusion.

So I made a simple move:

“Pick a company you love.”

She said: “Roblox.”

We bought a few shares.

Not because it was trendy.

Not because I had some conviction on earnings.

Because she uses it. She knows it.

And now? She owns part of it.

And she’s proud of that.

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That changed everything.

Now when she opens the app, she doesn’t just play the game.

She sees herself inside it.

She knows she owns a piece.

She knows the price moves.

And every month when we check it together, she gets to connect dots most adults never do:

“This is mine.”

“This is growing.”

“I helped make that decision.”

That’s what I wanted her to learn:

Not just to save.

Not just to spend.

But to steward capital.

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We treat it like planting.

We talk about how money grows, like a plant you don’t yank out every week to check the roots.

We talk about why we don’t panic when things go down.

We talk about patience.

We talk about the long game.

She’s learning to trust her decisions, not chase outcomes.

And honestly? That’s the whole point.

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The full system? Already in motion.

This one decision, to let her pick a stock and see it grow, is just one part of the bigger picture.

If you want the full setup, how we structured her accounts, how we keep it simple, how we balance short-term flexibility with long-term compounding, I shared that in this post:

But this one?

This one’s about the spark.

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Don’t wait until they’re “ready.”

Let them grow inside it.

Ownership is powerful.

Especially when it starts young.

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Question:

What’s something you wish you had been taught about money as a kid?

Reply and let me know, or forward this to someone raising a young investor.

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