A Child Can Understand the Meaning of Debt

Peter Orvetti

8/24/2009

My sons, who will be five next month, have recently discovered mathematics. They are learning their numbers, and are intrigued by the concepts of addition and subtraction. They do, however, have a tendency to guess that 10 plus 12 is “forty hundred”, or to insist that there is a number called “seventeen eleven”. (This has led me to question my competence as a homeschool dad.)

Even they, though, have a basic understanding of how money works. When we are at the bookstore or the toy store, they know that they cannot buy a six-dollar item if they have just four dollars. They also know that if they save their money wisely, they can afford even better things later on.

It would be nice if the government could learn this lesson, too.

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