Parenting around money is messy for almost everyone. Your kid blows through their allowance or your college student burns through the semester’s food budget–and without intention, you might find yourself responding in a way that’s more controlling than it is constructive.In this episode of Money Without Math, Karen Coyne is joined by parenting speaker, author, and coach Mary Wilcox Smith to explore how parents can build real financial skills in children at every age. They discuss why money problems are often skill gaps, not character flaws, and how validation, practice, and modeling are more effective than lectures. Mary shares simple scripts, small-step strategies, and mindset shifts that help you hold boundaries, give your kids more appropriate control, and build their capacity with money over time.In this episode:The skills gap behind money struggles are not character flawsBuilding capacity instead of punishing mistakesSetting ceilings on spending, even when you have the meansCourse correcting with older teens and young adultsHow to stop bailing them out while still staying connectedConnect with Karen:Clarity PlanningLinkedInYouTubeInstagramConnect with our guest: Mary Wilcox Smith on LinkedInMary Wilcox Smith’s websiteMary Wilcox Smith’s The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent