Do children really need to know about the economy?
April 8, 2025
Imagine you wake up one day, and though you are surrounded by all the people you love at home, everyone is speaking a completely different language. You don’t understand any of the words except for a few key phrases: “not in front of them” … “they do not need to hear this” … “they are in the room, let’s talk about this later”. Although you can’t understand the language, you can tell by their expressions that they are scared, and tension is present in a way you have never felt before. Suddenly, you feel unsafe. You are glad to leave your home for more routine items hoping to return to normalcy. Upon your return, however, the strange behavior and language still present, but now in spurts. You begin to pick up some common words in the foreign dialect by frequency and pattern, but no one will explain what is going on. Do you feel scared in this situation? What has happened to the people you trust? To the people who have kept you safe?
Children absorb more than we realize. Regardless of the level of concern brought in by news headlines, they are undoubtedly causing discussion in many households. Children are observational by nature and learn from the social cues we display regardless of the topic of discussion. Our conversations directly with them may be light and surround the more cheerful events of their days, but they are curious about what is important to their caregivers as well. That said, how do we begin conversations around things like taxes, tariffs, and the economy without introducing political elements that may not be age appropriate? There is a way, and children find great value in being spoken to, not in front of, when it comes to serious concerns that may impact the world around them.
Vermont Public Radio has a wonderful podcast called “But Why? A Podcast for Curious Kids”. The show is structured to answer questions submitted by children, usually between the ages of 4-10, in a way they will find interesting and easy to understand. The inflow of questions submitted recently surrounding market headlines proves that the economic state is not just an adult concern. In a March episode titled “What are Taxes and Tariffs?” host Jane Lindholm and Bloomberg business reporter Stacey Vanek Smith help to answer a variety of questions in a kid-friendly way. This is such a validating show for young listeners not only for the educational component, but also because they hear the questions asked by the children in their own voices, sharing their age and location. In short, hearing the inquiries firsthand may help them feel good about a) not knowing these terms themselves, b) having a sense of care about the terms even though they don’t know why, and c) being supported by you bringing this information to them proactively. Even as adults we don’t always know the right questions to ask when we need help; imagine a level of confusion and fear from the mind of a child living among a new language.
We hope you will share the podcast with the youngsters in your life to help provide a little bit of guidance: Click Here to Listen to But Why? What Are Taxes and Tariffs?
