432: Teach Your Kids About Money and Life Skills This Summer—No Nagging Needed // Saren Loosli

June 2, 2025

Are you struggling with teaching your kids about money and chores? Me too.

As a mom, I often feel torn between two instincts.

On one hand, I want to give my kids everything they need—and sometimes everything they want. On the other hand, I know how important it is to teach them the life skills that will serve them in the long run: how to work hard, manage money, contribute to the family, and make wise choices.

Finding a system that teaches those things without turning every day into a power struggle can feel overwhelming. That’s why I loved this week’s podcast conversation with Saren Eyre Loosli, the founder of Power of Families and one of my earliest parenting mentors.

Saren is a mom of five and a seasoned educator who helps parents create systems that are clear, consistent, and deeply rooted in family values. In our conversation, she shares how her family set up a simple, sustainable structure to help their children learn about money, responsibility, and routines—all while reducing the nagging and friction that so often come with those efforts.

And summer is the perfect time to try something new.

With a little more flexibility in your days, you can experiment with systems that help your home run more smoothly while teaching your kids the skills they need.

Saren Loosli’s Takeaways for Teaching Kids about Money and Chores:

1. Teach your kids how money works through hands-on experiences.

Instead of handing out spending money with no context, let your kids earn and manage their own funds for personal wants. This teaches them the difference between needs and extras, and helps them learn through experience—sometimes even by making mistakes while the stakes are still low.

2. Link responsibility to how things are done, not just what gets done.

Saren’s kids didn’t earn money simply for brushing their teeth or clearing the table. They earned it for doing those things “quickly, happily, and well”—a phrase that encouraged initiative and a positive attitude. Over time, those daily actions became habits that stuck.

3. Set up a clear system—and revisit it regularly.

Together with your partner, decide what your kids will be responsible to pay for and how they’ll earn money. Use a simple system—like a chart or an app—to track it. Then hold brief family meetings to check in, celebrate progress, and adjust as needed. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s consistency and connection.

You don’t need to overhaul your whole home this summer. Just one intentional system can bring more peace to your days and teach your kids the life skills they’ll carry with them into adulthood. You are doing such important work in your family. I hope this episode helps you feel a little more supported and a little more confident.

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Teaching Kids about Money and Chores with Saren Loosli. 3 in 30 Podcast with host Rachel Nielson. Top Motherhood Podcasts. Top Podcasts for Moms. Best Parenting Podcasts.

Are these tips from Saren Loosli on teaching kids about money and chores helpful? What would you add to the takeaways? Tell us in the comments below.

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About Our Guest:

Saren Eyre Loosli runs an online community of parents called The Power of Families and is the mother of 5 children ranging in age from 20-25. She is the oldest of the 9 children of NYTimes #1 bestselling authors of parenting books, Richard and Linda Eyre so she grew up as a “guinea pig” for her parents ideas (most of which were pretty awesome!).

Saren went on to complete a degree in Sociology at Wellesley College then a Masters in Education at Harvard University. She worked with schools and curriculum development for several years and came to see that parenting matters more than anything else when it comes to kids doing well in life.

After Saren and her husband, Jared, had five kids in five years, Saren found it necessary to figure out some systems to make her family work and keep herself sane. She also found that she loved sharing ideas with others and learning about what worked for them. Power of Families grew out of her desire to share what she learned and build a community of parents who could support and learn from each other.

Over the past 18 years, Saren has been able to grow a community of over 100,000 parents, offer numerous on-demand parenting, create and grow a podcast called Power of Families Radio as well as a podcast with her sisters called In the Arena with the Eyre Sisters, conduct in-person parenting retreats across the US and in Australia plus lead online conferences serving hundreds of thousands of parents. As a certified life coach, she is now offering both group and individual parenting coaching as part of the resources available at Power of Families.

Contact Our Guest:

Website: poweroffamilies.com

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