Don't worry, Team T, as our friends affectionately refer to us, didn't have daily 'money talks' either. We're just as guilty as the next family of eating in front of episodes of The Amazing Race, Lost, or Game of Thrones. I've already mentioned that my content is not about me lecturing you to do as I always did, but it is often based on my own lessons learned.
Why are people so afraid of talking about money? I think because they are afraid of exposing that they earn too little, spend too much, have saved too little, or owe too much. I have an idea, don't talk about those specifics. What I'm encouraging is far easier...simply have open conversations that include parents and kids. There are endless opportunities. You can remind the kids that another dinner out for $100 could instead be replaced with cooking together and putting the money aside and applied towards a weekend away. Or mom and dad can think out loud and choose not to spend $400 this summer to have the yard sprayed, instead opting for a few $25 bags of fertilizer. The more times you talk about the small stuff, the easier it will be to talk about college, or the size of a wedding, or sacrifices that need to be made to ensure you are ready for retirement.
Even though the title to this post says "about money", remember my framework has a wide scope - future-proof careers, choosing a college you can afford, creating habits when young, and developing the broad life skills and mindset needed to succeed. What I think is best is a home environment which encourages continual learning, demonstrates transparency and trust, one that expects and embraces change, and encourages and supports each other to achieve explicit goals.