Money 101: The Class Every Kid Needs (and Most Adults Missed)

Ask any adult what they wish they’d learned in school, and you’ll probably get the same answer: “How to manage money.”

We teach kids to conjugate verbs, memorize the periodic table, and play the recorder — but somehow, we skip the one class that actually determines how they’ll live their adult lives.

Understanding money isn’t optional. It’s not a “nice-to-have.”

It’s a survival skill.

Think about it: by the time most young adults earn their first paycheck, they’ve already signed up for a credit card, picked a college loan, or opened a Venmo account. Yet almost none of them know what interest really means, how taxes work, or what investing even looks like beyond a Robinhood app ad.

And that’s not their fault — it’s ours.

As a system, we’ve treated financial education like an extracurricular, something you can get around to “later.” But later usually means after a few expensive mistakes.

We don’t wait until kids crash their bikes to teach them balance.

So why do we wait until they’re in debt to teach them about money?

Starting financial education in elementary or middle school isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s about confidence and control. When a 13-year-old understands how saving, spending, and investing connect, they start seeing the world differently. They begin to ask questions — good ones. They make better decisions. And they carry those habits for life.

To me, learning personal finance is more important than learning a second language or mastering another sport. Because no matter what you do in life — artist, athlete, engineer, or entrepreneur — money will be your constant teammate or your biggest opponent.

That’s why I started teaching a financial literacy class at Barnhart School in Arcadia. The goal is simple: teach the fundamentals early, before money becomes a source of stress or shame.

ABC7 News recently covered the class, and it’s been incredible seeing these eighth graders talk about paychecks, credit, taxes, and even crypto — not as abstract ideas, but as real-world tools they’ll soon use.

Watching their curiosity and confidence grow each week has been the most rewarding part. And when parents tell me, “I wish I had this class when I was their age,” it just confirms what I already knew — it’s never too early to learn, but it can definitely be too late.

You can watch the ABC7 News story and see how Barnhart’s students are already thinking about their financial futures.

And sign up your kids now for my online CashCourse. It’s the best gift you will every give your children.