Kids learn by watching, so it makes sense to involve them early in your investing process. With the right approach, you can help shape how they think about investing for goals and the future.

Here are a few strategies to consider:

Save and invest with your kids

Demonstrate savings to younger kids with a savings jar in a visible spot in your house. Choose a family goal, label your jar, then encourage everyone to add cash on a regular basis. For example, the loose change in your pockets. Consider moving the cash to an investment account once it reaches a certain level, and then restart the jar—perhaps with a label that states the total balance already saved. As your family goal is achieved, you’ll be able to celebrate this saving accomplishment together.

In addition to setting family goals, ask your children to establish their own financial goals. Consider these options to match their savings, pay them interest—or do both:

• Get kids their own piggy banks or jars for savings, then offer to match a percentage of whatever they save. Consider paying interest on the total in the jar at regular intervals, so they can start seeing the power of compounding in action. It will become clear that the more money they save, the quicker their jar fills up. After some time has passed, help your children establish a checking account of their own and show them how it works just like the piggy bank or jar at home did with monthly check-ins on the account statement.

• For teens with summer jobs, consider having them open a savings account. If you have the means, match a portion of what they save. You can begin to show them the progress they can make by creating an investing habit and working toward investing goals.