Personal Finance & School Children Part 2

When I had shared the first part of this blog a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the warm response it received. A few readers reached out saying they could relate to the situations I had written about. Encouraged by that interest, I thought of carrying the thread forward. So here’s Part 2 - picking up from where we left off to take this a step further.

“Money Magic Continues – Lessons from Class 4”

The following week, Class 4 was buzzing again. Ever since Miss Anita’s “money magic” class, the children had been talking about their budgets, proudly showing off decorated piggy banks, and even debating whether ice cream was a “need” or a “want.”

“Good morning, children,” Miss Anita said with a smile. “Last time, we learned four important spells of money magic: budgeting, saving, needs vs. wants, and investing. Do you remember?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the class shouted in unison.

“Wonderful,” she said. “Now tell me - how many of you tried making a budget last week?”

Almost every hand went up. Riya waved her colourful sheet, showing that she had saved money for a new storybook. Aryan admitted he spent all his share on a toy car, but promised to save next time. The classroom erupted in giggles.

Miss Anita clapped her hands gently. “That’s okay, Aryan. Budgeting is about learning, not perfection. What matters is that you are thinking before spending.”

She then picked up her jar from the desk. The label now read “Dream Library.”

“Remember my savings jar? I’ve started a new goal. Just like me, you can change your goal when one is complete. Savings give us choices.”

The children nodded, eyes wide with interest.

“Now let’s revisit our ‘needs vs. wants’ game,” Miss Anita said. “Sometimes, what feels like a want today may become a need tomorrow. For example, a new schoolbag might feel like a want when your old one is fine. But if it tears, suddenly it becomes a need. That’s why making careful choices is important.”

She then drew a small ladder on the board. On the first step, she wrote Earning. On the second, Saving. On the third, Investing. And on the fourth, Sharing.

“This is called the money ladder. Each step is important. As you grow up, you’ll learn more about each of these. For now, just remember - you climb slowly, step by step.”

Rohan raised his hand. “Ma’am, can we ever fall off the ladder?”

“That’s a smart question,” Miss Anita said warmly. “Yes, if we spend carelessly or forget to save, we might slip. But the good news is - we can always climb back again.”

The bell rang just then, and the children groaned.

“Don’t worry,” Miss Anita laughed. “Money magic doesn’t end here. Today we only climbed the first few steps. There are many more spells - like borrowing, lending, sharing wisely, and even planning for emergencies. We’ll explore them soon.”

As the children packed their bags, they whispered excitedly about jars, ladders, and mango trees. Some even promised to teach the “money spells” to their parents.

And so, the journey continued - one story, one lesson, one step at a time. The best of money magic was yet to come.

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