MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB

Parent reading guide for 

“The Berenstain Bears’ 

Trouble with Money” 

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

 Ages 4+

Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau
1 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | Trouble With Money

Welcome

This guide will help you teach your child money management 

skills while reading “The Berenstain Bears’ Trouble with Money” 

by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It will accomplish this by:

 Helping you explain the key ideas covered in the book, and 

then providing you with signs your child understands the key 

ideas and can use them in daily life. 

 Giving you things to think about before reading the book 

with your child. These can help you spot key points in the 

book or spark ideas to discuss later.

Helping you prepare for an enjoyable reading time with 

your child.

 Providing questions to talk about with your child.

 Suggesting activities that help your child put ideas and 

lessons into action.

Parent reading guide | Ages 4+
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The story

Brother and Sister Bear spend money as soon as 

they get it. Mama and Papa Bear want the cubs to 

learn that there is more to know about money than 

just how to spend it.
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 Key ideas

By the time you finish this discussion guide, your child will be 

able to point to examples of these key ideas in the book you 

read and discuss real-life examples, too. Use these definitions to 

explain the ideas. We’ve also included ways children can show 

they are ready to use them in their daily lives.

1. Making decisions

Many times there are different ways to use money. Taking 

the time to ask questions, learn about different choices, and 

compare what’s good and bad about each choice helps you 

reach good decisions. 

How kids show it: They can look at a few choices and select one 

that will bring the best results.

2. Spending

You need money to buy things. These things have different 

prices. Money can be spent only once—after buying something, 

a person needs more money to buy something else.

How kids show it: They make spending choices with their own 

money (real or play money). (Ages 7+) They can tell the value of 

different coins and bills.
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3. Saving

Some things cost more money than we have at one time. Saving 

means putting some money aside until we have enough to buy 

what we want.

How kids show it: They keep money in a safe place and keep 

track of amount saved for future spending. (Ages 7+) They can 

explain why money saved in a bank or credit union is still a 

personal belonging.

4. Self control

Sometimes we can’t have what we want right away and need 

to wait. Choosing not to spend money can sometimes be a 

good decision.

How kids show it: They can talk about times when they were 

able to wait and how they were able to do it.
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 Something to think about

First, read the book yourself and think about these ideas:

§ Just like the Bear family, children know that money is fun to 

have and spend!

§ Just like Mama Bear, many parents worry about the way their 

children spend money.

§ The cubs spent their money as fast as they got it.

§ Children can learn that money is only one resource the family 

uses to get what it needs and wants.

§ All resources are limited so we have to recognize all of our 

resources and plan how to use them to get what we need 

and want.

§ The cubs used human and natural resources to earn and 

money and save it.
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Before you read

Read the book first yourself. Knowing the story will help you know 

what comes next. It is important to ask your child questions about 

the story as you read. Ask what might happen next in the story.

§ Choose a quiet time for stories and make it part of your 

daily routine. 

§ Find a cozy, quiet place to read. 

§ Make sure your child can see the pictures. 

§ Talk about the pictures and characters in the book.

§ Read with expression in your voice. Give each character 

in the story his or her own voice. 

§ Keep the story time short enough to leave them wanting more.

§ Look for ways during the day to bring up the messages in 

the story.

§ Continue to read aloud together even if your child can 

read alone.
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 Something to talk about

Before you begin to read the story with your child, look at the 

cover of the book together. Ask what the story might be about.

As you read the story with your child, talk about these ideas:

§ At first, where did the Bear cubs get their money? How did 

they spend their money?

§ Where do your children get their money?

§ How do you and your children feel about how they get and 

use their money?

§ What other resources besides money do you and your 

children use to get what the family needs and wants?

§ What other resources did the cubs use to earn money?

§ How did Mama and Papa Bear feel about how the cubs 

earned money? Why did the cubs want to earn money?

§ What did Papa Bear want the cubs to learn about money?

§ What did the Bear family do to help the cubs learn to save 

money? What did the Bear family do to help the cubs learn to 

plan ahead?
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 Something to do

Resource coupon book Ages 4+

Use this activity to help your child learn that money does not 

grow on trees.

Talk with your child about extra things he or she can do around 

the house to earn money. As a family, decide how much each job 

is worth. Help your child make coupon books for these jobs.

When your child wants to earn some money, have him or her 

complete one of the jobs and exchange the coupon for money.

Money phrases Ages 6+

Use this activity to teach about figures of speech that deal 

with money. 

Just like Papa Bear, parents often use money phrases with 

children that they do not understand. Say the phrases below to 

your child and talk about what each saying means: 

§ Money does not grow on trees.

§ I am not made of money. 

§ Save for a rainy day.
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§ Have a nest egg.

§ Do not be a spendthrift.

Can you and your child think of more sayings? Help your child 

make pictures about the sayings.

Design an allowance Ages 8+

This activity will help your child recognize an allowance as 

a resource. 

An allowance can help your child learn to budget, or allocate, 

money. It helps your child know exactly how much he or she 

has to spend. Help your child come up with allowance plans. 

This will help your child allocate money resources. 

Decide with your child how much to give for the allowances. 

Decide with your child how often to give the allowances. Talk 

with your child about how much to spend and save.
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About this guide

The Money as You Grow Book Club is a research-based program 

designed to help parents, caregivers, and others teach children 

ages 4 through 10 money skills through reading, activities, and play. 

The Money as You Grow Book Club is an updated version of 

the University of Nevada Extension’s Money on the Bookshelf 

program. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), The 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Financial Security, 

and the University of Wisconsin-Extension Family Living Programs 

have worked together to expand the program and make it 

available to libraries, educators, and parents nationally. 

The CFPB is an independent federal agency. We write and 

enforce rules that keep banks and other financial companies 

operating fairly. We also help educate and empower 

consumers. For more about tools and resources for parents, visit 

consumerfinance.gov/MoneyAsYouGrow. 

The Center for Financial Security is a research center that seeks 

to help the public build financial knowledge and skills, increase 

access to financial services and increase the financial security 

of families. The University of Wisconsin-Extension is part of the 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Cooperative 

Extension System, which brings vital, practical information to 

agricultural producers, small business owners, consumers, 

families, and young people.
To learn more about the Money as You Grow Book 

Club, or download other parent reading guides, visit 

consumerfinance.gov/MoneyAsYouGrow.

MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB

Ask about these other Money as You Grow Book Club books and 

parent guides. ISBNs for paperback versions are included below:

Alexander, Who Used 

to be Rich Last Sunday

by Judith Viorst

ISBN # 0689711999

A Chair for My Mother 

by Vera Williams

ISBN # 0688040748

Just Shopping 

with Mom

by Mercer Mayer

ISBN # 0307119726

Ox-Cart Man

by Donald Hall

ISBN # 0140504419

Sheep in a Shop

by Nancy Shaw

ISBN # 0395706726

The Berenstain Bears & 

Mama's New Job

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

ISBN # 0394868811

The Purse

by Kathy Caple

ISBN # 0395629810

A Bargain for Frances 

by Russell Hoban

ISBN # 006444001X

July | 2016

Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau