Money is often a topic we get wrong with our kids. We don’t know how to talk to them about it, at least not in the right way. So many kids end up in college or in jobs after high school with little know-how on how to save and manage their money. College debt is higher than ever right now, but kids have no clue how to pay it off.

Fortunately, you can start instilling good money habits in your child right now. Kids learn about money from what they observe in their parents, whether you’re talking about money with them or not. Because of this, it’s important to both talk to your kids about money and model good money habits.

Here are a few tips for how you can navigate the money conversation with your child in a way that will leave her feeling equipped to handle, manage, save and spend her own money one day.

Talk about it, but don’t complain about it.

The first rule about talking to your kids about money is simply that: talk to them about money. When parents keep money a secret or don’t bring it up around their kids, it confuses them. They…