More Math Needed - Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, "I Know That Dad, It Comes From the ATM"

Why aren't we teaching math in school at an earlier age? Especially the concept of money, how to count change, where money comes from? It's all about math, and it's something that the kids need to learn, and it will help them with their addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, and fractions later on. It's a fundamental principle, and if more kids understood money, they'd also be quicker to learn financial responsibility, and later economics.

There is no reason we can't teach this in our math classes, and we could easily start in kindergarten, and grade school.

I can remember when I was in school, we did learn these things, but apparently we aren't teaching that anymore, or the kids are not readily picking it up, or don't understand. I believe this to be a mistake.

Let me tell you little story.
The other day, I was at Starbucks and I was listening to a conversation between a sales lady, and a couple of gentlemen. They were commiserating about the top challenges with their personal finances.

The sales lady was married, and so were the two gentlemen, and they all had kids.
They were worried about saving for college, paying for soccer shoes, paying their bills, and making ends meet.

The sales lady was trying to get them into a new business, and the gentleman were intently listening as they sold themselves on the reason to start a new company.

The one gentleman said that he once told his son that he didn't have enough money to buy something recently after his son said; "Daddy you should buy this.

" The dad said to the son; "money doesn't grow on trees.

" And the son said to him; "I know that dad, I'm not stupid, money comes from the machine, just go over and get some more and let's go buy it.

" The child was obviously referring to the ATM Machine! After he told the story, the sales lady asked him how old his son was.
His son was six years old. Indeed, I thought to myself; wow, I thought kids were smarter than that at that age.

I remember at that age; I was going door-to-door on trash day collecting quarters for taking people's trash cans in to make extra money.

Yes, I guess that was my first business at five years old, but I did make some good money, and back then it was tax free, pretty cool.

This got me to thinking again on this subject about teaching math in school, even before the first grade. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.