There's something a grandparent can offer that no book, app, or classroom can replicate: a real life, fully lived, with real money lessons woven through every decade of it.
I think about this often as Mi-Mi — the grandmother behind Penny's Learning World. When my twin granddaughters were born, I didn't just want to love them. I wanted to teach them. And I knew that the money lessons I had learned the hard way, the values I'd built over a lifetime, were things I could pass on in ways their parents might not have the time or the vantage point to give.
Grandparents are uniquely positioned to be a child's first financial mentor. Here's how to make the most of that gift.
Children don't learn values from lectures. They learn them from stories — especially stories about real people they love.
Tell your grandchildren about the first time you saved up for something. Tell them about a money mistake you made and what you learned from it. Talk about how your parents handled money, and what you carried forward (and what you left behind).
These stories don't need to be polished. The imperfect ones — the "I wish I had known this sooner" ones — are often the most powerful.
💡 Try this: The next time you're with your grandchild, share one money memory from when you were their age. What did a dollar mean to you then? What did you do with it? Let the conversation grow naturally from there.
You don't need a curriculum. The grocery store is a classroom. The farmers market is a classroom. A garage sale, a birthday card with a dollar inside, a trip to the bank — all of it is material.
Children absorb what they observe far more than what they're told. If they see you clipping coupons, they learn that saving matters. If they see you donate to your church or a cause, they learn that giving is normal. If they see you wait and save for something instead of buying it immediately, they learn that patience is a money skill.
You don't have to narrate everything. Just let them be present. The lessons land quietly.
Grandparents love to give. That's one of the great joys of the role. But how you give matters as much as how much you give.
Consider sometimes giving experiences instead of things. Consider pairing a gift of money with a conversation about what to do with it. Consider setting up a small savings challenge together — a matching system where you match every dollar they save toward a goal.
🌟 A matching idea: Tell your grandchild: "For every dollar you save toward your goal, I'll add one." Then check in together each visit. This teaches saving, goal-setting, and the power of having someone in your corner — all at once.
Children often feel embarrassed to ask parents about money — it can feel like a sensitive or grown-up topic. Grandparents can be the safe person. The one who will answer honestly, without judgment, without hurrying to the next thing.
"How much does a house cost?" "Why do some people not have enough money?" "What happens if you run out?" These are real questions children ask. A grandparent who answers them thoughtfully gives a child something they'll carry their whole life: the ability to talk about money without fear.
One of my favorite things is the idea of a grandparent and grandchild watching Penny's Learning World together — then pausing to talk about what Penny did in the episode. Did she make a good choice? What would you have done? What does your own piggy bank look like?
That conversation, small as it sounds, is a financial education. And it's one only you can give — because you're the grandparent, and they love you, and that makes everything you say matter more than you know.
Join Penny's Clubhouse and get new episodes and free printables delivered to your inbox.
For parents. We only email about Penny's Learning World.