Talk With Our Kids About Money Day is expanding across Canada this year.
The program, developed by the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) in partnership with BMO Financial Group, offers a simple way to help young Canadians learn more about money and personal finances.
The program was launched last year in more than 400 schools in Toronto and Montreal. This year, it expands to participating schools in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.
The annual event takes place the third Wednesday in April, this year, April 16, with a “Home Program” for families and a “School Program” for Grade Seven students and teachers. Both parents and teachers can visit the online hub, www.talkwithourkidsaboutmoney.com, free for anyone to access, and updated with resources and curriculum ideas.
According to a BMO poll released Tuesday, Canadians would much rather talk to their kids about the facts of life than the family’s financial situation (63 per cent vs. 37 per cent), indicating a lack of comfort among parents when it comes to having the “money” talk.
Furthermore, the poll revealed that only a quarter of parents feel strongly that they are equipped to give their children a solid financial education.
In addition, the pollo found that less than half (47 per cent) of Canadians are optimistic about the financial future of children and almost half (49 per cent) blame a lack of financial education for this outlook.
The are from a Pollara survey commissioned by BMO Financial Group with an online random sample of 1,012 adult Canadians, between March 27 and 31. As a guideline, a probability sample of this size would yield results accurate to plus or minus 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.