We Teach Our Children Everything Except Money

India is changing rapidly.

People are earning more. Young Indians are moving to bigger cities, taking better-paying jobs and getting access to credit more easily than ever before.

But there is another side to this progress.

More people are getting caught in debt, and for some, the situation becomes extremely serious.

For me, the most worrying part isn't simply that people are borrowing money. It is that many people were never taught how to manage money in the first place.

We Teach Everything Except Money

Think about what we teach children.

We teach them mathematics, science, history and languages. We spend years preparing them for exams and careers.

A child may eventually become a doctor, engineer, CA or something else highly respected.

But how many are taught how to build an Emergency fund?

How many understand the difference between saving and investing? How many understand loans, interest, insurance or financial risk before they start earning?

These are basic life skills.

Yet many people learn them only after making expensive mistakes.

The New City Trap

I see another problem with the way many young people start their working lives.

A young person gets a job in a big city. The salary looks good, so they move into an expensive area, pay rent, travel to work, eat out and slowly increase their lifestyle.

Everything seems manageable because money keeps coming in every month.

Until something goes wrong.

A medical expense comes up. A family emergency happens. The salary gets delayed. Or they simply need money to get through the next few weeks.

There is no emergency fund.

So they turn to a credit card, personal loan or an app-based loan.

The immediate problem gets solved.

But another problem begins.

The Debt Loop

A few months later, the original emergency may be forgotten.

The loan isn't.

Now there is a monthly repayment.

Savings are still close to zero.

Then another unexpected expense arrives.

Another loan may be needed.

Slowly, a person can find themselves working not to build a better life, but simply to repay yesterday's decisions.

Imagine moving to a new city seven years ago with dreams of building a better life.

You worked hard. You earned money. You survived corporate pressure.

Seven years later, you look at your finances and realise you have almost no savings and are still stuck in a cycle of repayments.

That's a painful place to be.

The Basics Come First

I believe the beginning has to be set right.

If you get the basics right, you have already done a huge part of the work.

Children should learn about saving, emergency funds, investing and reinvesting. They should understand health insurance, term insurance, loans and interest.

Most importantly, they should learn that earning more money doesn't automatically make you financially secure.

You can earn ₹5 lakh a year and struggle.

You can earn ₹50 lakh a year and still struggle.

Your designation doesn't protect you from bad financial decisions.

Your salary doesn't protect you either.

Earning More Isn't Enough

We often tell young people to focus on getting a good job and earning more.

That's important.

But it isn't enough.

You also need to know what to do with the money once you earn it.

Earn.

Spend.

Save.

Protect.

Invest.

Build.

These are basic financial habits.

You don't need to become a financial expert. But you should understand your own money.

Know what you earn. Know what you spend. Keep an emergency fund. Protect yourself with appropriate insurance. Avoid unnecessary debt. Invest for the long term.

We often tell young people to focus on getting a good job and earning more. That's important. But it isn't enough. You also need to know what to do with the money once you earn it. After all, the real purpose of money isn't simply to accumulate more of it, but to give us greater freedom and choices in life.

Teach It Early

I don't think financial education should begin after someone gets into debt.

It should begin much earlier.

Before the first salary.

Before the first credit card.

Before the first loan.

Because once the basics are right, everything else becomes easier.

No matter how much you earn.

No matter what designation you hold.

If your financial basics are wrong, you can still end up struggling with money.

Perhaps that's one lesson we should start teaching our children much earlier.