Okay, I need your help. And I mean that genuinely, not in a passive “drop a comment below” kind of way.
As some of you might know, I’m working on book #2, a personal finance book aimed at young adults- the late teens and twenties crowd who are either just leaving home, just entering the workforce, or just discovering that nobody actually taught them how any of this works.
I’ve got plenty of my own ideas and opinions, because, well, have you met me? But before I get too far into my own head and on paper, I want to hear from the people who are actually watching young adults navigate money in real time. That’s you – the parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, older siblings, and mentors who have a front-row seat to all of it. The wins, the “how did that credit card get maxed out,” and everything in between.
Here’s what I’d love to know
- What’s the one money lesson you wish your child had learned before they left home, or before they leave home?
- Where have you watched a young person in your life really struggle financially, and what do you think was at the root of it?
- Are there topics you’ve tried to explain but it just hasn’t landed? (Because sometimes the message coming from a parent doesn’t hit the same as it coming from literally anyone else, and that’s okay; that’s what books are for.)
- What are schools getting wrong, or missing completely, when it comes to teaching financial basics?
- If your young adult could read one book and walk away truly understanding three money things, what would those three things be?
There are absolutely no wrong answers here. I’m not looking for polished responses or perfectly structured feedback. A ramble is fine (you should see my notebook in my handbag). A voice note transcribed into your phone is fine. Even a few bullet points dashed off in between everything else you have going on is fine.
I will read every single one personally. And I plan to share some of the themes back here on the blog, if I think there’s a really interesting post in whatever patterns come up. (We might all be more aligned on this than we think, or we might be wildly all over the place, which is equally interesting.)
Send your thoughts to [email protected]. Subject line “book feedback” is great, but honestly anything works. I’m just glad you’re here.
You know, one of the things I keep coming back to as I work on this is how much of what young people learn about money isn’t taught; it’s absorbed. From watching us. My own girl is 24, and I’m sure she learned from the energy in the room when a bill arrived. She learned that money was something spoken about openly once her Dad and I divorced. Before that, it was quietly avoided.
That stuff is influential in our kids’ psyche. And I think it means that the adults around young people matter enormously, even when it doesn’t feel like it when they walk out and slam the door when you’re still talking to them. I guess what I’m thinking is that even when they’re not listening, they’re listening.
So thank you, in advance, for taking the time. This community has always been a big part of how I think through the things I write, and this feels like the most important thing I’ve written yet.
— Louise
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