When I first became a dad, I had two goals: keep them alive and help them become good people. Like many new parents, I had few concrete ideas about how to do the latter, but I tried hard, taught them to be self-sufficient, traveled to give them a worldview, and showed them love in the best ways I could. What I didn’t always do though, was discuss money with my kids. After all, when they were little, I was still trying to get my own financial life sorted. Here are four financial missteps I made and how I am now teaching my kids to do better.

I Prioritized Spending Over Savings

I never used to think about saving money. I was concerned only with spending it on stuff like gas for my car, food, movie tickets, and music magazines. If there was any money left over, I’d think about saving, but there never was any left! Today, things are reversed. I start with my savings goal each month and then work with what’s left for spending and giving.

This change in prioritization helps me save and spend wisely, and has allowed me to have important conversations with my kids about saving. My goal as their dad is to make saving money a reflex, so that every time they earn some, they instinctively think to save before spending. Greenlight is my favorite tool to help reinforce this proactive thinking — it’s a debit card and money app that helps kids set savings goals and spending limits to create good habits. It even rewards saving by giving kids cash back on their savings balances.

No Budget, Mo Problems

Speaking of budgeting, I was terrible at it! Spreadsheets? Not on my watch. Unfortunately, my lack of budgeting acumen meant I had no idea I was living beyond my means. I got into debt, and that debt grew. I talk to my kids now about keeping a budget, how to format it with earnings (part-time jobs, allowances), and how to spend within their means. They don’t have grown-up financial concerns yet, but maybe they want their favorite band’s new vinyl record or some fresh art supplies.

Talking about money is only half of my plan though. We also use Greenlight so my kids get to see in real-time how exciting it is to watch their money growing in different “buckets,” like spending, saving, and investing. It’s perfect because this is all happening on a device they already have in their hands anyway, so the lessons are seamlessly woven into their everyday experience.

And because I’m always in control through the app’s parent experience, I can set store-specific spending limits so they don’t end up spending all their money on their favorite pop star’s entire back catalog.

I Was Too Easily Tempted By Big Offers

Have you ever been shopping and the cashier says, “Would you like to save 30% off your order today by signing up for our store credit card?” I used to sign up for every store card for those savings. Sadly, this kind of financial behavior harmed my credit rating, which made it trickier to buy a car and rent an apartment later on. Today, my kids hear me say a polite, “No thank you” as I confidently wave those tempting offers away. At the same time, I talk to them about the value of keeping their credit clean, with higher credit availability and low debt. It’s only halfway sinking in right now, but I know these lessons accumulate and start to make sense over time.

I Tried To Be The Big Man on Campus

I used to be the guy everybody wanted to have around. Not because I was funny or interesting, but because I always picked up the tab. I had a job and a credit card and a car, and I was cool. Well, the first three things in that sentence were true, at least. It’s painful to admit, but my peers took advantage of my need to be liked. In return, I got myself into debt. These past experiences have me talking openly with my kids about fairly sharing the cost of their adventures with friends, and to make sure they know what a real friend looks like.

One of the best things about the Greenlight debit card and money app is that I can see when, where and how much they’re spending. This is huge for me because with real-time notifications, I can address specific issues as they come up and be a more aware and actively engaged dad.

Greenlight is a debit card and money app fostering independence in young people and their families. Check out how Greenlight can give your kids the best start possible when it comes to managing their financial lives.

The idea of unleashing your child into the digital world gives parents the same trepidation traditionally reserved for teaching a hormone-crazed teenager how to merge into rush hour traffic. Sure, the World Wide Web can be a scary place, but in a lot of ways, the experience is better than when we were kids. What we’ve lost in dial-up noises, we’ve gained in parental controls and strategies to make the online world a healthier environment for our kids.

You Control the World They Play In

There aren’t many phrases scarier for a parent than “in-app purchases available.” Thankfully, you can add layers of purchasing restrictions to make sure your kid doesn’t convert your life savings into video game currency.

Once you have your pocketbook protected, most apps and services also have filters you can apply to serve up only age-appropriate content. Video platforms get better every day at creating a digital world with training wheels for pre-teens. Most games restrict chat functions for younger kids so you don’t have to worry about strangers trying to make small talk with your second grader who simply wants to feed a pretend horse in an open-world environment.

Most importantly, keeping kids aware of your screen time rules — and enforcing them — will go a long way to keeping their digital habit a healthy one.

Today’s Parental Supervision Tools Are Next Level

Just as you want to know who your kid’s in-person friends are, you can monitor their early digital interactions to make sure they’re using the internet for good. Apps like Messenger Kids create a safer environment where kids can interact and play with their buddies while parents keep an eye on their whole experience.

Messaging apps are not only a great way for kids to stay connected with buddies outside of a classroom or play date, but they’re a solid introduction for kids to the digital world. They foster creativity by giving kids freedom in how they play and connect, while also aiding social and emotional development by helping kids stay in touch with friends and family members.

With Messenger Kids, you have your own separate Parent Dashboard that allows you to manage your kid’s contact list, set “off times” to enforce screen time limits, and check in on your child’s conversations, which is especially helpful with younger kids.

You’re Already Teaching Them What They Need To Know

Isolation and bullying are among the biggest dangers for teenagers growing up digitally. Actually, they’re some of the biggest problems of being a kid, period. But just as the digital world can intensify some of those issues, smart digital tools can also be part of the solution.

Many apps and platforms are joining the mission to educate and encourage positive behaviors in the digital realm. The Messenger Kids Pledge echoes the attitudes we want our kids to exhibit in real life: Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Safe, and Have Fun. To help kids learn these behaviors and put them into practice, Messenger Kids’ new interactive Pledge Planets activity puts kids in charge of helping characters navigate social situations by using their digital citizenship skills. Messenger Kids’ interactive games also have report functions to help dramatically limit in-game bullying, while parental supervision tools let you monitor your kid’s online play.

Fortunately, there has never been more education and awareness in schools to combat issues like bullying. Those are the same values and lessons you’re instilling in your kids at home, both in-person and online.

Spending Time Online With Your Kid Can Be an Incredible Bonding Experience

Having an online kid doesn’t have to be scary — it can actually enhance your relationship. It’s something fun to do together. You don’t have to wait to throw a ball around the yard, you can destroy your fourth-grader in your favorite racing game. Meeting your kid on their level and gaming together, whether it’s a world-building game or a team-up-to-defend-the-world-from-zombies game, are memories they’ll carry forever. And it gives you a chance to model the behavior you expect from them online.

Also, an ongoing messaging relationship with your kid can bring you closer. Nothing cheers up the final quarter of your workday like your kid sending a GIF on Messenger Kids after they get home from school. Ask a child how school was, and they listlessly respond, “Fine.” Ask via text, and they might give you a whole breakdown of what’s going on — though it might be communicated with memes and emojis. Still, it adds a whole new dimension to your relationship. And you can’t ask for much more than that.

Messenger Kids is the video, voice, and messaging app designed for kids to connect with family and friends. Learn more by exploring messengerkids.com.