Tips to Teach Your Middle Schooler About Holiday Budgeting

Welcome to The Consult a Counselor Series, a special segment of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where therapist and host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC, tackles real-life parenting questions, helping you find balance, reduce worry, and live mindfully with your children.TODAY'S QUESTION:"How can I get my middle schooler to understand budgeting and the cost of the holidays?"In this episode, Vanessa shares relatable and practical tips for teaching middle schoolers about budgeting during the holiday season. From starting with perspective to involving your child in creating a holiday budget, she provides actionable strategies that help kids grasp the value of money and make intentional choices. Vanessa also emphasizes the importance of modeling gratitude and shifting the focus from material items to meaningful connections.TUNE IN TO LEARN:How to introduce the concept of budgeting in simple, relatable termsWays to involve your child in holiday planning and spending decisionsHow to teach trade-offs and the importance of prioritizing spendingWhy showing real numbers makes the cost of living more tangibleHow earning their own money helps middle schoolers appreciate its valueTAKEAWAY MESSAGE:By involving your middle schooler in holiday planning and budgeting, you’re teaching them not only the value of money but also the importance of gratitude, intentionality, and resourcefulness - lessons that will stick with them far beyond the holiday season.Listen in, and remember... you’re always free to be mindful!Send us Fan MailSupport the showGRAB AN OFFER🎁 Free Resource: 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com/💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com/ABOUT MEI'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot. I believe the people who give everything to everyone else deserve to stop surviving and start living intentionally.CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speakingDISCLAIMERFree to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed...