Granted, the concept of business and finances is too complicated a subject matter for a child to fully understand. Because of this, parents never bother teaching their child about it. But what if your child shows an interest in entrepreneurship early on. Of course, it’s your job to make this complicated matter simpler for them to grasp. If you inculcate to your kids the right business values early on, perhaps they’ll even find success in the future. A good way to teach them about money and concepts of business is through films. Make your family movie night more constructive by starting intelligent conversations about money and finance after the movie. However, starting off with financial nitty-gritty might make them disinterested. Instead, take a lesson from the movie and explain how it can be used in real life or in a business. Here are some of the best movies with money lessons:
The Hunger Games
The dystopian world shown in The Hunger Games is scary no doubt. But Katniss Everdeen emerged as a heroine who could take on any challenge thrown at her. But what is the best lesson learned from this movie? Depend on your skills more than depending on acquired materials. When Katniss took part in the hunger games and entered the Cornucopia, she could have been killed if she had gone to acquire the materials provided for the contestants. But she ran into the heart of the jungle with a meager backpack. It was the skills that she learned while hunting that helped her survive. Later on, all her hard work paid off as sponsors sent her food. The lesson here is that rely on your skills first which can eventually will lead you to money. It also teaches restraint. If Katniss had not shown restraint in the beginning and had fought for the food and weapons at the Cornucopia, she wouldn’t have been a match for the other competitors who had teamed up against the weaker ones.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
A business runs best when it is driven by good values. Honesty and integrity are the two values that would have the best impact, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory teaches that valuable lesson. The movie is a classic when it comes to the children’s movie genre. The fact that Charlie chose his family over running the factory is a big lesson. Charlie gave more importance to his family and prioritized them over having loads of money. Though a business is all about making money, having that kind of integrity will help you give more importance to customer satisfaction or product excellence. And when one knows what is more important than money, wealth will come to them automatically.
The Harry PotterSeries
Before Harry was introduced to the Wizarding World, he literally had no money of his own. But when he found out he was a wizard, Harry then had access to his parents’ savings to go to school and buy the necessary supplies. In the real world, saving up for emergencies and keeping an emergency fund is imperative especially for small businesses that start with a limited fund. Furthermore, Harry showed us that despite having a fortune, he kept having a modest lifestyle. For businesses, it is tempting to use up all the funding while making the product, but that might be disastrous for the business. Managing money is something that business owners should be wise about.
The Hobbit
The last movie on our list is The Hobbit. The prequel to The Lord Of The Rings might be a film that is best suited for older kids, but don’t be afraid to introduce them to the movie if need be. The lesson learned from this classic is that if you want to succeed, you need to get out of your comfort zone and take some risks. Bilbo Baggins did just that, traveling to the Lonely Mountain with a company of dwarves and Gandalf the Grey. Through his adventures, he was able to acquire wealth for his good deeds. Explain to your kids how taking risks helped Bilbo become rich — that you need to take the plunge if you want to reach the top. This is one lesson all business owners would agree! But always remember to think before you leap!
So, watching these films with your kids may be the best way to impart simple yet essential values regarding entrepreneurship and business tips which they can definitely use in the future. Ready the popcorn and have fun!
