Photo: Grant Ellis/World Bank/CC/Flickr

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands spoke about the importance of teaching children financial literacy from a very young age and resisting the temptations deriving from advertisements. 

Together with the Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag, Her Majesty travelled to Utrecht on Monday, 27 March, to participate in events marking the opening of Money Week. She spoke to the national media NOS about the importance of parents discussing finance with their children. 

It is important that children learn “to handle money, […] to deal with temptations,” she said. “First think about it: can I afford it? […] This is very important,” she continued. 

She also spoke about the dangers represented by an increased online presence of children, even if it’s just for gaming apps: “Even if they are in an app or in a game, to build a world you have to buy another, television, another piece of furniture, or a few more plants, all of which costs money. And before you know it, a lot of money has gone into that. It starts with 50 cents, but suddenly it’s 100 euros.”

Before speaking to the press, Her Majesty watched a teaser of the “Money and Happiness” performance by KiKiD Foundation, who designed it specifically to encourage financial conversations among secondary school children. 

Queen Máxima was then one of the panellists for the roundtable discussion about financial literacy for young children, during which she talked with primary school teacher Angela Esajas about the key role played not only by the school but also by the families, a theory supported by many recent studies on the topic. 

The Dutch Queen has long been invested in many aspects of the world of finance, from microcredit to new technologies and the need for increased financial literacy all around the globe. 

Specifically, her presence at this event comes in her role as honorary chairwoman of Wijzer, a platform that brings together various actors, like the sectors of finance and science, together with the government and consumers, to promote “financial fitness,” as they define it.