So you’re kids are trigger-happy children when it comes to swiping that plastic little card on buying stuff? The good news is, you’re not alone. Everyday, there is an increasing number of parents who are getting really tired of credit cards pushed to their credit limits by kids set loose on a mall.

As a parent, there are many ways for us to keep our kids from weighing heavily in our pockets. We could strip away their credit card access altogether and banish them to a friend-less, phone-less, Internet-less Amish existence. Although, there is an alternative that wouldn’t end up with your kids hating you forever, and here are just a few of them.

You have to show your kids that money doesn’t fall magically from the skies, it is earned. If your kids are little, you can try giving them a couple of responsibilities around the house and then reward them for a job well done. If they’re a little bit older, you can ask them to find a job or start their own business, I hear New Hampshire craft shows are a great way to do that.

Save up. Sit your kids down and talk to them about having a savings account. Tell them that saving up is not an act of masochistic deprivation, but an act of insightful preparation. Discuss it with them and make sure that you make them feel like an adult in the decision. It helps make them more mature when it comes to making decisions for themselves.

Another great idea is to teach them how to budget their cash. This is a great way to allocate portions of their allowance or earnings, if you’ve convinced them to have a job, for certain things that they might find necessary in everyday life. It also makes sure that they’re always saving something after a regular period of time.

Those are only a few ideas on how to teach your kids financial responsibility. But don’t forget, the best way to lead is by example, so don’t go preaching all these around to your teens and then indulging in whole day shopping sprees for yourself.