Author Kelly Lee joins Jet Bunditwong to explain why financial literacy should begin in early childhood. Kelly shares how storytelling can make saving, spending, investing, inflation, and needs versus wants understandable and engaging for children. Explore her Little Economists books at https://www.econforkids.com.
Transcript note: This transcript was lightly formatted for readability. Speakers are Jet Bunditwong and Kelly Lee.
Jet Bunditwong: And welcome to The Personal Side of Business where every business has a story. I'm your host, Jet Bunditwong. Today, my guest is Kelly Lee. She's the author of a book series called The Little Economist that helps children learn about financial stability. Welcome to the podcast, Kelly.
Kelly Lee: Thank you. Thank you, Jet. Thanks so much for having me.
Jet Bunditwong: No, I'm excited. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while. So tell me, how did we get here?
Kelly Lee: So in 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, I gave birth to my son. And I heard a lot in the news that people were struggling financially. They didn't have enough savings and they were losing their jobs. They didn't have money to pay for rent or food. It's crazy. And it wasn't just like 10% or 20%. It was like 40% or 50% of people were struggling financially, which I thought was just crazy, right?
Kelly Lee: Because I had just had a kid and I had some free time, I wanted to look for things that were educational and fun and that could teach my kid financial literacy. So I went online and looked for books or toys. I actually couldn't find anything cute and relatable and interesting, because I felt like teaching kids about money, or really anything, should be entertaining. They should really get joy from learning.
Kelly Lee: I didn't find anything. Most of it was for older kids and it was pretty serious. I was looking for something for like two- or three-year-olds at the time. But anyway, I couldn't find anything. So I was like, maybe I'll just draw and create my own because I used to work in finance and I am always pretty good at explaining complicated things to little kids.
Jet Bunditwong: Did you have any aspirations before to write books?
Kelly Lee: No, I have always been on the technical side, engineering, finance, that sort of stuff. I did not know that I would enjoy being an author. I did it because there was a need for me to educate my child.
Kelly Lee: In the beginning, I didn't even think of publishing. It was just me sketching some pictures on the iPad. After I finished the first book, I showed it to my friends' kids and they were able to grasp concepts like saving, sharing, and spending. That gave me the motivation to keep going.
Jet Bunditwong: What were some of your methods for simplifying finance for kids?
Kelly Lee: I believe in story-based education. Kids remember things through stories and relatable characters. My books use animals and simple storytelling so kids can connect with the concepts instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Jet Bunditwong: Why do you think financial literacy isn’t taught early?
Kelly Lee: I honestly don’t know. But I think it’s something that needs to change. Kids don’t engage with something unless it feels relevant or interesting.
Jet Bunditwong: What is your long-term goal for this work?
Kelly Lee: I hope kids grow up with a strong financial foundation. I want them to enjoy learning about money and not see it as a chore. And during difficult times, I hope they are prepared and financially stable.
Jet Bunditwong: How can people find your books?
Kelly Lee: You can find my books on my website, econforkids.com. You can also get them on Amazon. I’m also on Instagram and TikTok.
Jet Bunditwong: Thank you, Kelly, for coming on the podcast.
Kelly Lee: Thank you so much, Jet. Thanks for having me.
Jet Bunditwong: Thank you. This is Personal Side of Business.
Kelly Lee: Thank you.