Episode•March 6, 2025•14 min

The Secret to Introducing Financial Concepts to Children Ages 4-8 | Ep. 371

In this episode of Money Talk With Tiff, host Tiffany Grant sits down with Anthony Delauney, a financial planner with over two decades of experience and a dedicated author focused on financial literacy for children. Anthony shares his unique approach to teaching kids about money through engaging children’s picture books. Discover how stories like "Dash and Nikki and the Jelly Bean Game" incorporate financial lessons such as delayed gratification and interest through relatable, everyday scenarios. Anthony and Tiffany discuss the vital principles of financial education tailored for young minds and how life lessons play a crucial part in understanding finances. Anthony also highlights the significance of overcoming the fear of judgment in financial decision-making, a topic he explores in another of his works, "Akash and Mila and the Big Jump". Check out the full show notes: https://moneytalkwitht.com/podcast-show-notes/teaching-money-to-kids/ Takeaways Teaching kids about money is crucial, and it can begin with fun stories that resonate with their experiences. Using children's picture books is a creative way to introduce financial concepts without overwhelming them with adult lessons. Financial literacy for kids should focus on foundational principles, like delayed gratification and empathy in money decisions. Parents should model positive reactions to mistakes, as this builds confidence in their kids when facing financial decisions. For parents and educators looking to introduce or enhance financial literacy education for young children, this episode is a treasure trove of insights and practical advice. Resources Mentioned Explore the Owning the Dash series: OwningTheDash.com Follow Money Talk With Tiff for updates and more episodes. Connect with Tiffany Grant on social media @MoneyTalkWithT Support this Podcast Copyright 2025 Tiffany Grant This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

1
Use relatable stories instead of direct instruction to teach financial concepts to young children
Children learn better through experiences and peer-level scenarios rather than adult lectures
Picture books allow kids to empathize with characters and imagine their own reactions
Foundational principles like delayed gratification can be introduced without complex financial terminology
2
Delayed gratification is a foundational financial principle that can be taught through simple metaphors
The jellybean game demonstrates how money grows when set aside (interest concept)
Hiding jellybeans under a plate mirrors keeping money inaccessible to avoid impulse spending
The story shows both the benefits of waiting and the consequences of immediate consumption
3
Fear of judgment prevents financial success and starts developing in childhood
Adults often avoid seeking financial help due to embarrassment about past decisions
Parents should model positive reactions to mistakes to build children's confidence
Teaching kids it's okay to fail and ask for help prepares them for future financial decisions
4
Parents teach more through reactions than through explicit instruction
How parents respond to success and failure shapes children's money mindset
Avoiding comparison and judgment helps children develop financial confidence
Creating a safe space for mistakes encourages kids to take appropriate financial risks later

Intro

Tiffany Grant interviews Anthony Delauney about teaching financial literacy to children ages 4-8 through picture books that embed money lessons in relatable stories.
Anthony Delauney is a financial planner with over 20 years of experience who writes children's books focused on foundational financial principles.

Owning the Dash

– Why Books Work Better Than Direct Teaching

Kids don't make money and they don't necessarily understand it because they don't have any value associated with it. So really the best way for kids to learn about money or money matters is through experiences themselves.
– Anthony Delauney

Anthony explains that stories allow children to empathize with characters facing situations and imagine their own responses, making lessons more memorable than direct instruction.

– The Jellybean Game: Teaching Delayed Gratification

Anthony describes his first book, Dash and Nikki and the Jellybean Game, based on the marshmallow study. Siblings receive jellybeans that multiply each hour they resist eating them.

He's getting interest on that money... It grows for you. It works for you.
– Tiffany Grant

The story also includes a charitable lending component where the brother lends jellybeans with interest, teaching both generosity and basic investment concepts.

– Fear of Judgment: A Hidden Barrier to Financial Success

The biggest thing that prevents them from actually achieving financial success is fear of judgment. They fear that they come in and say, please don't judge me for this decision I made.
– Anthony Delauney

Anthony's fifth book, Akash and Mila and the Big Jump, addresses this through a gymnastics class scenario where a child fails publicly and feels embarrassed.

– Modeling Reactions: The Most Important Lesson

It's not so much what we tell our kids. It's how we react to scenarios that they are seeing. This is how I should or should not react.
– Anthony Delauney

Anthony emphasizes that parents should respond supportively to mistakes rather than with frustration, teaching children that failure is part of learning.

Books Mentioned

Dash and Nikki and the Jellybean Game by Anthony Delauney
Akash and Mila and the Big Jump by Anthony Delauney

Resources

Owning the Dash Series
Full Show Notesarticle

Topics

Financial LiteracyChildren's BooksParentingDelayed GratificationMoney EducationEarly ChildhoodFinancial PsychologyTeaching Methods