April was the 20th anniversary of Financial Literacy Month in the US. This year, the movement was overshadowed by the global coronavirus pandemic and has many wondering if financial literacy matters in the current environment. It matters more than ever! A new survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) finds that nearly nine in 10 (88 %) Americans say the COVID-19 crisis is causing stress on their personal finances. Financial education will, however, play a pivotal role in the economic recovery of our country. A big opportunity lies with educating our children about personal finance so they are equipped to thrive as adults. However, most states require very little if any personal finance instruction at school. The current shelter in place environment provides an opportunity for parents to help fill in the gap left by lack of school requirements in this important topic. Here are some things you can be doing with them while sheltering in place to position them for a brighter future.

These are just a few ideas about how parents can teach children of various ages some useful life lessons about money while sheltering in place. It’s up to us to make sure we come out of this positioned to thrive in the future.