Hello and welcome to this week’s Mini Millionaires.

We’ve loved hearing how these simple money tools are helping your family. 

This week, we’re leaning into one of the trickier (but most meaningful) topics: How to teach kids about sharing.

Living in South Africa, our kids are likely to notice the need all around them. At the robot, outside the supermarket, or in the park. And sooner or later, they ask the big questions: Why is that person there? Why don’t they have what we have?

We don’t always have perfect answers. But we can offer something powerful: a way to respond with empathy, generosity, and action.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you may have seen us talking about the 4 Jars System. One of the Jars is ‘Share’, which is exactly what generosity and giving fall under.

So let’s dive into how to teach kids about sharing, together.

Kids are naturally generous, but they’re also naturally, well, kids. 

They like to hold on to what’s theirs (parents with smaller kids who are learning about sharing will know EXACTLY what we’re talking about). 

So when it comes to money, teaching them to give isn’t about guilt or obligation (like sharing your favourite toy with your little brother). It’s about nurturing empathy, choice, and a sense of agency. 

When kids learn to give from a young age, they see money as more than just something to spend. It’s a way to care, to contribute, and to make a difference in someone else's life.

Giving isn’t losing.

If we want kids to be generous with money, we need to help them see giving not as something they’re giving up, but something they’re growing. 

Generosity isn’t just good for the world; it actually makes us happier, too. In one study, toddlers were visibly more joyful when giving away their treats than when receiving them. That happiness boost isn’t accidental; it’s actually built into us.

Takeaway: Celebrate giving as a joyful, powerful choice, and your kids will start to see it that way too.

Make giving part of their money routine.

Habits build identity. 

One way to build the habit of generosity is through the 4 Jar method: Spend, Save, Share, and Sow. Every time your child receives money from chores, birthdays, or pocket money, allowance, they divide it up into the jars. 

Giving becomes part of the rhythm, not just a one-time thing. Engaging in charitable activities helps develop a strong sense of self-worth and satisfaction in kids, and helps them gain a sense of purpose that enriches their personal development.

Takeaway: When giving is built into how kids manage money, it becomes part of how they see the world.

Let them choose who or what to give to.

To make giving even more meaningful, kids need to feel connected to it. 

That means giving them a say in where their money goes. Whether it’s helping a local animal shelter, donating to a local family in your community, or even buying books for another child, when it matters to them, they’ll be more invested. 

Takeaway: Give your child the freedom to choose, and it turns their giving into something personal that they have a vested interest in.

Learning to be generous doesn’t always come naturally, but it can be taught. This week’s resource is a simple, practical way to help your mini millionaire understand that sharing really is caring.

Start by asking your child to think of things they have more than enough of, like toys, clothes, even money. Then, using our “Sharing is Caring” template, they draw those things out. Once they’re done, they choose one to give away.

Over time, this small exercise helps build empathy, ownership, and generosity.

Download the free template, print it out, and let’s get sharing.

Fintr4Schools is everything you wish you’d learned about money, now made fun and accessible for the next generation.

Packed into a gamified digital platform, it turns EMS and financial literacy lessons into comic-style adventures. Students battle money villains, unlock financial superpowers, and build real-world money skills, all while competing on a live leaderboard.

Aligned to the CAPS EMS curriculum and rated 93% for pedagogical excellence by Education Alliance Finland, it’s a world-class way to level up learning.

So, whether you’re a teacher or a parent of kids in school, talk to us about getting Fintr4Schools in your school.

Last week, we asked, ‘How does your family feel about debt?’. Turns out most families avoid debt at all costs.

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🛑 We avoid debt at all costs

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🧠 We only use debt if the potential return is higher than the interest

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤷 We’re figuring debt out as we go

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 😅 What’s debt? Ask my mini millionaire after this week’s newsletter

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 It depends — we discuss it case by case

What you said: 

“Take it on a case-by-case basis. Today's downloadable resource actually got me thinking about weighing up saving for something vs using debt - while I recognise people might not always have the choice (if we see that stat at the start), it's actually a seriously powerful way to reframe it. Nice one team MM”

Oh, that’s so awesome to hear. One of the main things for us is to equip families with useful resources, and help them have the smart money conversations through our weekly topics.

What’s the mindset, habit, or tip you want to try this week?

What worked, what didn’t? Or is there something that’s got you and your mini millionaire excited? 

We’d love to get your thoughts, so hit reply to this email and let us know what's on your mind.

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