At what age should you start to teach children about the importance of money?

In utero! Derrr!

Expectant parents are told to “play soothing music” to their unborns. I hate soothing music. Reminds me of elevators. Claustrophobia. No room in the womb.

But L’il DebtBoy and DebtGirl weren’t deprived. They were played music. Money music!

On 24/7 loop cycle through the house were tunes including Billionaire by Travie McCoy, Money, Money, Money by ABBA, Money Changes Everything by Cindi Lauper, Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band, Barrett Strong’s Money (That’s What I Want) and, of course, For The Love of Money by The O’Jays.

My hippie Dad insisted the loop included The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. Sooo daggy!

I didn’t forget money’s evil side. Some people steal from you – Taxman by The Beatles. And in case DebtBoy’s blue-eyed, dreamy charms attract the wrong girl, there was Gold Digger by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.

For sexual equality’s sake, DebtGirl got The Beatle’s Can’t Buy Me Love and Madonna’s Material Girl.

Reading? No Thomas the Tank Engine, Spot or Mr Men for my kids! They devoured the classic investment theory of A Random Walk Down Wall St by Burton Malkiel. And DebtGirl loved the early manuscript for Debt Man Walking – which I literally wrote and read to her, as she was in the womb.

DebtBoy’s first movie with his dad? Wall Street. For DebtGirl’s third birthday, we all sat down and watched The Color of Money as a family. DebtGirl is already hustling her crèche mates! So proud of my baby!

Osmosis. Start in the womb. It’s child abuse if you don’t.

Bruce Brammall is the author of Debt Man Walking (www.debtman.com.au) and principal adviser with Castellan Financial Consulting.