Parenting Playbook: How To Fit Money Lessons In Your Kids' Lifestyle?

When entrepreneur Jesse Pujji shared a moment from his family trip to Disney, it struck a chord with many parents. As he and his children walked past long queues after paying extra to skip the line, he wondered if he was spoiling his kids.

His worry was not unusual. Many parents who have worked hard to create financial security wrestle with the same question: How do you let your children enjoy the fruits of your labour without raising them to feel entitled?

Pujji says he tries to bridge this gap by making every privilege a teaching moment. At Disney, he stopped his children and asked them why they got to skip the line. After a few playful guesses, his wife reminded them of years of late nights, long hours, and sacrifices that built the life they now enjoy. That led to one of Pujji's family mantras: "Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life."

From there, he laid out what he calls his "parenting playbook" in the post. It's not perfect, he admits, but it is a framework that blends responsibility, financial literacy, and perspective.

Here's what he has planned out:

The Responsibility Rule: Privileges like screen time or ski trips come only after homework and chores are done.

The Money System: Allowance is linked to age, and divided into three equal parts: spend, save, and give, so children learn choices, patience, and service.

Bank of Dad (coming soon): By the time they want big-ticket items like a car, they will have to borrow at interest and make monthly payments. In simplicity, parents finance such early big-ticket purchases for their kids, but not without a system that teaches them credit, consequences, and compound interest.

Part-time Jobs Are A Must: Next, Pujji says, "Every kid of mine WILL work hourly." The idea is that, despite growing up with privileges and a wealthy lifestyle, every child should take an hourly job at some point to understand the grind of 'working to earn money' and the value of skills.

Business School at Dinner: Money talk should be normal at home, whether it's about restaurant rent or the economics of arcade games.

The reaction to this post reflected the split in parenting philosophies today. Some parents believe in the balance of privilege and perspective, giving kids comfort but also the tools to understand money, decisions, and consequences. Others feel that even an allowance risks creating entitlement, and kids should only earn by contributing meaningfully at home or through their own hustle.

One parent said they combine rules two and four by paying their children for real contributions: a few dollars for dishes, more for deep cleaning, and even higher for helping with tax forms. Another pointed out that forcing a retail or hourly job is not the only way; rigorous academics and extracurriculars can also teach discipline and time management.

The bigger theme running through all responses was the same: children of privilege should not be shielded from how the world works. Parents cannot simulate scarcity for them, but they can make sure money conversations are not taboo and that effort and consequence are tied to every choice. The idea is to ensure kids grow up aware of both their opportunities and their responsibilities.

As one comment put it, "The balance is to show them the value of money and what it takes to make it and get them used to the luxuries of life so that they actually work towards making it big."