零花钱不仅仅是孩子口袋里的几枚硬币。从每周定期给的零花钱到数字化的理财应用，孩子们可以从中学习储蓄和消费知识，甚至如何慷慨给予，这有助于培养他们在成年后养成良好的理财习惯。本文介绍给孩子零花钱的利与弊。

词汇：pocket money 零花钱

1  How much pocket money did you get as a child, if any? Was it a regular, weekly allowance, or just occasional one-off payments for chores? Parents around the world have different ideas about the dos and don'ts of pocket money. How much should parents give? Should they track what their children spend money on? And where is the balance between teaching children valuable life lessons and simply spoiling them?

2  Giving children pocket money offers more than just disposable income – it can provide lessons in financial literacy. One of the first things children can learn is that money is finite – once it is spent, there's no more until the next allowance. This awareness can help children learn how to budget and make good financial decisions. For example, they might spend weeks saving up for something big and exciting, rather than spending small amounts immediately. Making money mistakes while the amounts are relatively small can prepare children for when they start handling larger sums of money as adults.

3  Some parents link pocket money to household chores, teaching kids that hard work and good behaviour is rewarded. Louise Hill is the CEO of GoHenry – a money management service for children. She says that earning through chores encourages financial independence and "ultimately gives much more satisfaction rather than instant gratification". The downside of this, however, is that kids may only help around the house when they receive payment, rather than seeing it as their shared responsibility. In their adolescence, young people may transition to a more lucrative way of earning pocket money – part-time work such as babysitting.

4  Pocket money used to mean exactly that – coins or notes that children could keep in their pocket. And when they're young, seeing physical cash is a good way for them to understand money. But in today's digital world, families are increasingly going cashless. Online money management services are emerging in the market, many of them offering a combination of prepaid debit cards and an app that both child and parent can use to track spending. Some even offer gamified money lessons and the option to set up pots to fulfil savings goals. This modern approach is just another way children can be prepared for adult life, where many transactions are digital.

5  There's no perfect formula when it comes to pocket money, and a lot will depend on family situation and finances. Ultimately, learning to spend wisely, save and even give generously can help children build a healthy relationship with money that can continue into adulthood.

测验与练习

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 _______
Paragraph 2 _______
Paragraph 3 _______
Paragraph 4 _______
Paragraph 5 _______

a. Saving pocket money
b. Earning pocket money
c. Pocket money teaches generosity
d. Pocket money in the modern world
e. The bigger picture
f. Many factors to consider

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. In paragraph 2, what does 'it' refer to in the following sentence? Giving children pocket money offers more than just disposable income – it can provide lessons in financial literacy.
a. giving children pocket money
b. disposable income
c. pocket money

2. Understanding that money is finite teaches children…
a. how to spend.
b. how to budget.
c. how to be an adult.

3. The author thinks it's bad for children to make mistakes with money.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. What is the disadvantage of paying children for doing chores?
a. They might not help around the house without payment.
b. They might be underpaid.
c. They might get tired.

5. Digital money management services cost money.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

Giving children pocket money can improve their 1) _______. If they want to 2) _______ for an exciting new toy, they must learn how to 3) _______ and only buy the things they need, rather than being tempted by 4) _______. If they want to save up faster, they must do more 5) _______ to earn more pocket money from their parents.

save up
financial literacy
instant gratification
budget
cashless
adolescence
chores

（答案见词汇表后）

词汇表

allowance 父母定期给孩子的钱，定期补贴
one-off 一次性的
chore 家务活
dos and don'ts 应该与不应该做的事，规则
spoil 宠坏，溺爱
disposable income 可支配收入
financial literacy 财务知识，金融素养
finite 有限的
budget 制订预算
save up 存钱
instant gratification 即时满足
adolescence 青少年时期
lucrative 赚钱的
cashless 无现金的
debit card 借记卡
gamified 游戏化的
transaction 交易

答案

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 f) Many factors to consider
Paragraph 2 a) Saving pocket money
Paragraph 3 b) Earning pocket money
Paragraph 4 d) Pocket money in the modern world
Paragraph 5 e) The bigger picture  

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. a. 'It' refers back to the phrase 'giving children pocket money'.

2. b. This awareness can help children learn how to budget and make good financial decisions.

3. b. False. Making money mistakes while the amounts are relatively small can prepare children for when they start handling larger sums of money as adults.

4. a. The downside of this, however, is that kids may only help around the house when they receive payment, rather than seeing it as their shared responsibility.

5. c. Not given. How much digital money management services cost is not mentioned.

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

Giving children pocket money can improve their financial literacy. If they want to save up for an exciting new toy, they must learn how to budget and only buy the things they need, rather than being tempted by instant gratification. If they want to save up faster, they must do more chores to earn more pocket money from their parents.