It’s every parent’s role to properly educate their children about money, how it should be managed, and its role in the world around them. Parents often find it frustrating and challenging to discuss such a broad and complicated topic with their kids, however, and often don’t know where to turn for support. The truth is, teaching your kids about money doesn’t have to be a painful experience, and will in fact be both an enjoyable and genuinely beneficial experience for them in the long-run.

So how should parents teach their kids about money? What are the must-discuss topics that should be broached, and what areas should you avoid? Follow these tips, and turn to the experts for advice, and you’ll soon find that you’ve raised financially-savvy kids capable of wisely saving their dollars.

Start early

More than two-thirds of parents are hesitant to talk to their kids about money, for understandable reasons. Most parents are concerned that broaching the topic of money too early might give their kids the wrong idea about the pursuit of wealth, and some others simply just don’t know where to begin. The truth, however, is that it’s better to start early on in life, while your children are still in their formative years, if you hope for them to have a solid grasp on their own finances when they grow up.

Once your tots master their basic arithmetic, you’re well-situated to begin their financial education. Like all other matters, you should start small, and build your way up gradually, checking on their progress often to make sure they’re engaged and understanding of what you’re trying to teach them. The ideal place to get started? Try the grocery market; most parents inevitably take their kids shopping with them when they go to pick up groceries or run errands, presenting an invaluable opportunity to teach them about the different prices of various goods and how they should spend.

Teaching your children to save up their money, for instance, can be done by promising them that their saved funds can be used to buy ice cream or candy. Making money a physical part of their day to day lives – paying and teaching with cash and coins instead of credit cards – will help them master their ability to count while also teaching them about the importance of currency.

That being said, you should educate your children about the digital nature of money, too. More likely than not, today’s children will use more credit cards and other digital methods of payment than they will hard-cash. No child’s education would be sufficient without an important review of privacy when it comes to money, too; your kids should know how to avoid giving out their personal information, particularly when doing things like online shopping, which is increasingly becoming easier to do without parental supervision.

Cover the basics first

While you’ll need to explain things like credit cards, digital shopping, and long-terms savings to your children eventually, it’s also important to remember that you shouldn’t be afraid to keep things simple, particularly when you’re just starting to teach them about money. Setting small goals for your kids, like saving up their allowances to buy a desired toy, is a great way to teach them the value in saving and selectively buying things without going overboard.

Lots of resources exist out there to help you on your quest to raise a financially literate child, too. Don’t be afraid to enlist the help of digital tools when it comes to educating your kids; they’re likely more comfortable around computers than you are, after all, and will need to be immersed in how vital a role technology will play when it comes to their finances early on. You shouldn’t be hesitant to reach out to your child’s school, either, to see what your kid’s teachers are doing to prepare them for their futures when it comes to the cash in their wallets and purses.

After you’ve covered the basics, starting a long-term savings account for your child should be at the forefront of your mind, too. Your kids probably won’t be able to understand what a 401(k) is, but by acting now to start saving for their future education plans or career ambitions, you’ll be leading them by example, and showing them that you’re putting your money where your mouth is – literally.

You might consider offering your children “jobs” too, in the form of chores around the house. Give them a head start on their private piggy banks, and teach them the value of a strong work ethic, and your kids will be much better off financially than their peers. Money and children combined is a rather daunting subject, but it’s not an entirely impossible thing to discuss; engage your kids about money sooner rather than later, and they’ll be on the pathway to success from the start.