Personal Finance & School children Part 6

 

In the first three parts, Ms. Anita had patiently walked the children through the basics of money - right from understanding its value, to simple habits of saving and spending wisely. Her stories and examples made the subject come alive, and the students were beginning to see personal finance in a whole new light. 

In Parts 4 & 5, we saw Ms. Deepa, who carried the discussion forward with her own unique approach, adding fresh insights and building on the foundation Ms. Anita had set. 

This is part 6 of the series & the third class by Ms Deepa.

“Money Magic with Ms. Deepa – The Gift of Sharing”

The next Friday, Class 5 was buzzing as usual. By now, “money magic day” had become the most looked-forward-to period of the week. Some students even brought their paper coins from last time, hoping the store would open again.

Ms. Deepa smiled knowingly as she entered. “Ah, I see many of you have kept your earnings safe. That’s good. But today, we are going to learn something even more powerful than earning.”

The children leaned forward curiously.

“Tell me,” she began, “what happens if you light one candle from another?”

“It doesn’t lose its flame,” Riya replied quickly.

“Exactly!” said Ms. Deepa. “Sharing money is like sharing light - it doesn’t reduce what you have, but it can brighten someone else’s world.”

She then pulled out a small basket filled with slips of paper. Each slip had a situation written on it. “Today we’ll play the Sharing Game. Each group will pick a slip, read the situation, and decide how to help using their play coins.”

Aryan’s group went first. Their slip read: ‘A classmate forgot lunch today.’ After whispering among themselves, Aryan stood up. “We’ll share some of our coins to buy fruit from the store and give it to them.”

The class clapped.

Next, Meera’s group read: ‘A stray puppy near the school needs food.’ Meera said, “We’d pool our coins to buy biscuits.”

Finally, Rohan’s group got: ‘Your neighbour cannot afford a schoolbook.’ They decided to save up as a group and buy the book together.

Ms. Deepa nodded proudly. “See? When we share, the joy doubles. Money isn’t only for ourselves. Sometimes, using it to help others gives us a happiness no toy or chocolate can match.”

To make it even more real, she brought out a small donation jar. “This is our Class Kindness Jar. Whenever you feel like it, you can put in one paper coin. At the end of the term, we’ll use it to do something kind as a class.”

The children’s eyes sparkled. Some immediately dropped a coin into the jar, smiling as they did.

As the bell rang, Aryan whispered, “Ma’am, this was the best lesson yet.”

Ms. Deepa smiled warmly. “I’m glad. Remember, money magic isn’t complete until you learn the magic of giving. Next time, we’ll learn one more spell - how to plan for the future. That will wrap up your Class 5 journey.”

The children walked out chattering excitedly, their little hearts fuller than their pockets.

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