#11: Trina Sargalski's Journey with COR: A Practical Guide to Experiential Money Lessons for Kids

In this episode, Alec Lindenauer welcomes Trina Sargalski, to discuss her journey as a new money teaching COR parent, and her experience as COR’s marketing maven. Join us as they talk about Trina's parenting style, her background as a Montessori teacher, and the importance of experiential learning in teaching kids about money.

Key Points:

• Trina talks about her childhood and how her family used to have conversations about money. She also shares her background as a Montessori teacher and how it has affected her parenting style.
• Alec and Trina discuss the importance of hands-on experiential learning in teaching kids about money. They share examples of how they have incorporated this approach in their own parenting.
• Trina shares how she started talking to her daughter about money, and how she has been introducing different concepts like saving, budgeting, and investing.
• Alec and Trina discuss the challenges of talking to kids about money, and how to make it a positive and productive experience. They also talk about the role of parents in modeling good financial habits.
• Trina acknowledges the positive impact her parents' advice had on her financial habits and how it has helped her be better off than many Americans. However, she wonders if she could have adhered better to their advice, and if the missing piece was experiential learning at a younger age.
• Alec and Trina discuss how experiential learning is the most impactful and what works over the years and decades. They also mention that mistakes made when young are not as high-consequence as those made when one is on their own, making it easier to be less mindful about money when one is younger.
• Trina has noticed that being more financially responsible is now more on her mind, and she feels like this program has made her even more strategic with her money. She is also thinking about the power her daughter now has at her age and the cool gift of financial independence she can give her daughter through this program.
• Alec and Trina discuss how children will only ask for as much information as they need, and parents should not be intimidated by their questions. They suggest parents should provide simple, honest answers to their children's questions about money and let the conversation develop from there.
• Trina mentions that her daughter sometimes resists the routine and wants to skip through the lesson fast, especially if it is done on weekends. Listen to how Alec advises how to handle this common challenge.
• They discuss Trina's point that teaching her daughter about money also involves self-reflection, which can be hard for some. She had to look at her money mindset and see where she could do better, which can be challenging but beneficial.

Teaching kids about money is an important part of parenting, and it requires a thoughtful and intentional approach. By incorporating hands-on experiential learning and modeling good financial habits, parents can help their kids develop a healthy relationship with money that will serve them well throughout their lives.

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In this episode:

- Alec Lindenauer, COR's Chief Allowance Officer and Financial Advisor
- Trina Sargalski, COR's Marketing Maven, and new COR Parent

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Want more resources to teach your child about money? Check ‘em out here:

💰COR Parent Resources:
https://www.centsofresponsibility.com/resources 

💰How To Teach Your Kids About Money Blog:
https://www.centsofresponsibility.com/blog