And the checkout meltdown at Target? That’s not bad behavior. It’s brain wiring.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone:

  • “We just talked about saving!”

  • “Why do they freak out over every toy?”

  • “They spend money the second they get it…”

Here’s the truth: if you’re raising a child with ADHD between the ages of 5 and 9, traditional money lessons just don’t land the way they’re supposed to.

And it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong.

It’s because your child’s brain processes time, rewards, and self-control differently. And unless you adjust how you teach money, you’ll keep running into the same brick wall—and your kid will keep walking away feeling like they’re "bad at money."

It's time to fix that. 

The Real Reason ADHD Kids Struggle With Money

It’s called time blindness—and it’s a very real, very frustrating part of ADHD.

Kids with ADHD often live entirely in the now. The idea of “saving up for later” feels abstract, foggy, or just plain meaningless. And the bigger the reward is in the future, the less valuable it feels in the moment.

In psychology, this is known as delay discounting—and ADHD brains are known to discount future rewards more steeply than neurotypical brains.

👉 In a 2003 study by Sonuga-Barke et al., children with ADHD were significantly more likely to choose smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed ones. Not because they didn’t understand the concept—but because their brains are wired to prioritize dopamine now.

So when your 6-year-old is sobbing over a $7 Squishmallow at checkout, it’s not about entitlement.

It’s about neurology. 

The Problem With Traditional Allowance Systems

The standard “$5 a week, save it up” allowance model assumes your child has:

  • A sense of future time

  • The ability to delay gratification

  • Working memory to track where their money is going

That’s a big ask for any young child. But for a kid with ADHD? That’s Mount Everest.

This is why traditional financial literacy programs often fall flat with neurodivergent kids. They’re designed for neurotypical executive function—and that’s not what we’re working with. 

So What Does Work?

You don’t need to give up on teaching money. You just need a new playbook—one that works with your child’s brain, not against it.

Here are a few research-backed strategies to try:

1. Use Visuals, Not Just Words

Kids with ADHD respond incredibly well to visuals. Try using:

  • Clear jars labeled “Snacks,” “Save,” “Toys”

  • Sticker charts for short-term savings goals

  • Picture-based “money menus” (e.g. toy costs, saving goals)


These help externalize what would otherwise be invisible—and that’s a game-changer for time-blind kids.

2. Shrink the Timeline

Forget “saving for next month.” Try “saving until Friday.”

Break money goals into 2–5 day chunks to help your child feel the future. The closer the reward, the more real it becomes.

This builds success and momentum—and slowly stretches their tolerance for delayed gratification.

3. Give Choices, Not Just Rules

Instead of saying, “No, you can’t buy that,” try:

You can buy this little thing now, or wait until Friday and get the bigger one. What’s your move?

This simple shift puts the power in their hands. It builds decision-making skills, not just obedience.

And here’s the best part: whether they spend or save, they’re learning how to think about money—and that’s the real win.

4. Reward the Process, Not Just the Outcome

If your child saves for three days—even if it’s just $2—celebrate the heck out of that.

Dopamine fuels motivation. ADHD brains are dopamine-hungry. So if you want to build habits, reward the effort, not just the end result.

This isn’t guesswork — it’s backed by evidence. Learn what studies say about how neurodivergent kids learn math best in our flagship guide: Neurodivergent Math Learning.

Bottom Line

Your ADHD kid isn’t bad with money.

They’re working with a brain that has a different internal clock, a different reward system, and a different path to learning.

Don’t waste energy trying to force them into a neurotypical mold.

Instead, teach them to outsmart their brain—one small money decision at a time.

That’s not just financial literacy.

That’s financial resilience.

A note on Math fact Fluency

When you start helping your child with Money, one more foundational skill they need to master is Math fact fluency. Unless your child is fluent in math operations, they still struggle to compute basic things such as "how much will be left over in my piggy bank after I buy this toy". 

So if your child is not yet strong with Math facts, consider also working on that in parallel. And while there are several ways to do this, Monster Math can give you a fun, easy and research-backed way to do this for your kids! 

📚 Backed by Research: