At one time or another most children will say, “I want to be rich” or something similar. When you hear children say that, you can plant a small seed in their minds by asking them a couple questions. Say something like:
I can tell if you will be rich or not by the way you answer a couple questions. But remember, even if you give the wrong answer, you can always change your answer if you change your way of thinking. Would you like to try to answer the first question? Good. Here it is: What is the purpose of money? What is money for?
The child will probably answer that money is to buy things. You can then check to see if they mean things like candy, toys, clothes, cars, meals in restaurants, vacations, etc. If they say that’s what they mean, then you say, I’m sorry, you probably won’t be rich.
The child will then want to know the right answer. With proper seriousness, you say:
If you want to be rich ,you need to remember: Money is not for buying things like candy or toys. Money is for making more money. If you always remember that and act accordingly, then you will have plenty of money to buy things. But always remember, the first thing you do with money is make more money. That’s the kind of thinking that will make you rich.
