Educar entails a lot of edges and one of them is money, an item that makes many families uncomfortable to openly explain with their children. For this, the psychologist of the Universidad del Pacífico of Chile; Carmen Gutiérrez, explains if the child should know how much their parents earn or if they should reserve this information.
There are many circumstances in life in which money should be discussed within families. Today is a topic that has been put on the table in many homes for the purpose of university free, but it is an issue that often comes out, either when talking about vacations, possible studies, entertainment and meals, among others.
The child must know how much their parents earn.
However, it is not always easy to talk about money and many parents are not sure how much and when to delve into the subject. In this regard, the director of the School of Psychology at the Universidad del Pacífico in Chile, Carmen Gutiérrez, points out that in general it is not necessary or healthy for children to know how much parents earn. «This knowledge only makes sense if it is for another purpose, for example to educate the children in the management and valuation of money,» he says.
Even in circumstances such as those experienced by young people at the university stage, where many of them must inform their homes of their socio-economic situation, he points out that the issue must be resolved by referring to what is strictly necessary and indispensable. «Do you meet the requirements to apply for a free or other benefit? The answer is yes, no and why, without the need to open new issues that are not the responsibility of the children, «he clarifies.
For the specialist, this type of action is explained by the fact that families can be seen and analyzed as a system composed of parts or subsystems.
«Thus, you can differentiate the parent subsystem, children subsystem and siblings, to name the most traditional. Each of them has different tasks, functions and responsibilities. These limits also have a sense of care and protection for their members. In other words, it is healthy and desirable that some things that happen or concern parents, for example, are not shared or known by the children. As it is also healthy that certain concerns of the children are shared at a detailed level among the brothers, more than between the children and the parents, «he says.
The psychologist adds that the clear differentiation of responsibilities and tasks, allows each member of the family to take those that correspond to him, which favors the process of growth and maturation.