Where should I send it?
It arrives in about a minute. I’ll follow up once to ask how it went — that’s it.
On its way.
Check your inbox in a minute — the questions are in there. Ask one this week, then hit reply and tell me how it went. I read every one.
— Tony
What’s in it
Ten questions, each with follow-ups, a reframe, and a note about what to listen for. Plus a short page on how to actually hold the conversation — which is the part nobody tells you.
Ask one question. Not ten. You’re starting a conversation, not hosting a seminar.
Give them time to think. Silence is okay. Resist the urge to answer for them.
Ask “what makes you say that?” This is usually where the real conversation starts.
Share your answer too. Not the polished parent answer. The real one.
Try a reframe. What else could be true? What are you giving up with that choice?
Two of the ten
What would you want your life to look like at 25?
Where would you live? What would you spend your time doing? Then ask what role money would play in making that life possible. Start with the life. Then talk about the money.
What’s one money question you wish someone would explain more clearly?
Credit cards? Taxes? Buying a house? And if you don’t know the answer, say so — let’s figure it out together may be one of the best money lessons you give them.
Who’s sending it
I’m Tony Doble. I’ve spent nearly 20 years in financial education and written four books on money, including two novels for teenagers that schools use in the classroom.
I’ve run money programs for school districts for years. The thing I keep coming back to: young people don’t need more money facts. They need practice thinking through a decision — and an adult willing to think out loud with them.
If the questions open something up and you’d like more of it, I run a four-week live program for parents and teens called Money Choices: Ready for Real Life. No pressure either way — the questions are yours regardless.