On Thursday, Sept. 16, a handful of brave parents from across the nation will tiptoe into a discussion about dollars, sitting down to talk with their kids about financial decision-making.

This courageous minority will participate in the debut of the National Money Night Talk.

Many parents need a bit of help and encouragement when it comes to connecting with kids about money. That’s why the Kansas Council on Economic Education (KCEE) and NexLearn LLC are reaching out to these anxious moms and dads, supplying them with one free night’s access to an easy-to-use resource that can teach both kids and adults a thing or two about money.

On Sept. 16, to begin using Financial Foundations for Kids (FF4Kids), all parents will need to do is visit www.kcee.wichita.edu.

FF4Kids is a comprehensive set of interactive computer lessons, designed to teach kindergarten-8th grade students about personal financial literacy and its underlying economics principles.

The resource, already available to hundreds of Kansas elementary and middle schools, features episodes introducing young students to concepts such as sources of income, budgeting, saving and borrowing.

“FF4Kids is perfect for the Money Night Talk,” says Angela Howdeshell, KCEE’s vice president for programs and administration. “It takes pressure off of parents who might not know how to teach their kids about these concepts, and it ensures that both kids and parents are getting accurate instruction.”

The fully loaded resource counteracts any excuses parents could make to keep them from taking part in the Talk event. FF4Kids requires minimal preparation, is engaging for students and provides parents with the flexibility to stop and start the video lessons. Furthermore, it can spark genuine discussions about sound money management so that parents and kids can learn together.

The National Money Night Talk, an evening reserved for parent-child financial conversations, is sponsored by American Express, Jean Chatzky and the Council for Economic Education, who are offering written resources suggested for use by parents of middle school, high school and college students. You can learn more about the event at www.moneynighttalk.com.

Another benefit to the one-night release of FF4Kids is that it provides parents with a way to engage younger students, even those in elementary school, with knowledge about the basics of financial decision-making.

The KCEE is encouraging parents across the state and nation to take advantage of this opportunity, working towards a financially literate next generation. Money Night Talk and FF4Kids provide a great place to start.

To learn more about FF4Kids, visit www.ff4kids.com or call KCEE at (316) 978-5183.