Almost every third child between the ages of 8 and 18 regularly asks their parents for money via the Swish payment service. Of them, 70 percent almost always get their way. This is shown by a new survey by Verian on behalf of Ica Banken.
– I am not very surprised. I think it can be very difficult for many parents to set limits when it comes to swishing and that you get quite pressured when your child calls and asks for money, says Niklas Uppenberg, project manager for public education at the Financial Supervisory Authority.
In recent years, the amount of cash in circulation in society has decreased. It is a big change compared to how many who are parents today grew up themselves.
– Swish and other payment services have made it possible to make it easy to ask for money, but also to transfer money. It creates a new reality for many parents, he says and continues:
– We get a lot of questions about digital money and how to deal with it.
“It’s about giving your child a toolbox”
Teaching children about financial habits and behaviors that can be considered healthy is important to prepare children for the reality they will face.
– It’s about giving your child a toolbox. Otherwise, you might not see money as a limited resource, and personal finance is basically about managing your resources.
How children today get money looks different. Among the youngest children, between 8 and 11 years old, it is most common to receive money when needed. For the older children, however, it is most common to receive weekly or monthly money. Niklas Uppenberg believes that this is “the single best way to start practically teaching your children about money”.
– It creates the conditions for the children to learn to manage resources but also to prioritize expenses.