I was surprised when I asked parents to tell me the life skills they would like their children to know, and there was an overwhelming request for a few topics:

• How to open a bank account
• How to budget and balance accounts
• How to write checks and pay bills
• And how to start saving for retirement

It seems that some of the things we take for granted, as a result, are missing from what we teach children.

In the last article, we focused on the budget and the balance of accounts. We even discuss games and contests you could host for your kids. This article is the third in a four part series and will look at how to teach children to write checks and pay bills.

paying bills

I was a bit surprised when several parents recently reported that they had teenagers who were going to pay a bill by sending cash. I guess the obvious is not so obvious.

Paying bills is often done online, so it’s important to teach kids how to protect their identity online and store their login information where it can’t be stolen or accessed.

However, there are still quite a few companies that do not offer online payments, and the only way to pay your bills is by check in the mail.

All kids should know why they NEVER send cash and how to write a check specifically to pay a bill. For example: put your account number and any other required details in the note.

This brings us to the next topic: writing checks.

write checks

When I was 12 years old, I went to outdoor education. Interestingly, part of the experience was that we could only write checks to buy treats there, and our parents would put a certain amount in our accounts so that we would also have to budget and balance our record.

Most of the children were nervous! They weren’t sure how to fill out a check and it was a great learning experience. I remember being nervous because we had to fill in the italicized amount and I had trouble fitting it into the space.

These days, many kids don’t even think about writing checks because there are so many other much more common means of transaction; however, I still find myself in need of checks for bills, paying contractors and even helping me out of a bind when I forgot my wallet.

Also, in my previous articles, I have discussed the dangers of using and trusting a debit card.

So how do you get your kids to learn to write checks, and why would they care?

get the kids involved

The best and most interactive way to teach children to work with a checkbook is to find a reason for them to write checks.

This is how you do it:

Give your kids an old checkbook, play checkbook or make your own (complete with a register). Then tell them that in order to get certain things around the house, they will need to write checks. For example, to use their electronic device, there is a rental fee that requires them to write you a check.

Additionally, you can also give them a budget for the month to help them balance and budget their expenses. You need to balance a separate record so you can compare accuracy at the end of the month.

Children love this game.

Here are some things you can get paid for:

1. Use of electronic devices
2. Watch TV (per hour)
3. Snacks or special treats
4. Bike rental fee
5. Exit a task (limited use)

At the end of the month, if your children maintain a positive balance, they get a prize. If you have more than one child, the one who is most accurate in matching their record can also win a prize.

A variation is to cut privileges if they run out of money. Some think this is harsh, but it mimics the real world.

Writing checks is simple and most kids love to learn because they feel more like adults in the process.

In the next article, we’ll discuss how to start saving for retirement. It could make a difference of over $200,000!