DO start talking to your kids about money as soon as they are old enough to understand. Even a toddler, for instance, can be taught simple money facts, like: just because a nickel is bigger than a dime does not mean that it is worth more money.

DO teach your kids the advantages of saving money while they are very young. A see-through piggy bank can be fun to fill with spare change, and the child can watch his or her savings grow while eagerly anticipating what can be purchased with the loot. The same is true, although in a less tangible way, for a bank savings account for older children.

DO take advantage of ordinary daily activities to teach your children about money. When writing a check or using a debit card at the grocery store, for instance, explain that you have put money in your bank account, and that by writing a check or running your card through the machine you are telling the store that it is okay to take the money out of your account to pay for the food you are buying.

DO play board games with your children that involve play money, or engage in money-make-believe like playing "store" and have kids count out the proper amount of money to pay or count back the change to you.

DO encourage children to cut coupons out of newspapers and circulars and use them on future purchases to see how much money can be saved.

DO consider giving your children an allowance that must be used to pay for treats and entertainment so that they learn the value of budgeting.

DO establish a limit on kids' school clothes budgets and holiday gift spending, and let them decide how they will allocate that budget among various purchases.

DO encourage older children who earn money through babysitting or after-school and summer jobs to save a portion of each paycheck for major purchases or college.

DO explain to your children how a checking account works, how it must be balanced with the monthly statements, and the penalties for overdrafts.

DO consider making your child responsible for at least part of the cost of driving. Once a teen starts driving, his or her expenses, and your insurance rates, soar. Even teens that do not have their own vehicles should share the cost of driving-related expenses like gas, maintenance and insurance.

DO teach your children about the value of investing as soon as they are capable of understanding the principles. Investments can fund a child's college education, and watching the progress of an investment account is, in and of itself, educational for the child.

DO take your child on age-appropriate "money field trips," such as trips to the bank, the ATM, your financial planner's office, or even the stock exchange.

DO make use of the Internet to teach your kids about on-line banking, shopping on-line, on-line trading, and general money matters.

DO consider getting your kids involved in investment clubs. They can have fun, learn, and make money all at the same time.

DON'T wait until your children are teenagers to start teaching them about money. Money-management skills are learned best when they are taught early and regularly.

DON'T give your kids everything they want even if you can afford to. Children need to learn to prioritize their "wants" and respect the value of the dollar.

DON'T let your children spend their money on the first desirable item that they see, even if it means going home without the goods. Children should be allowed the time to consider purchasing decisions. When they realize a week later that they really didn't want those purple platform shoes, they'll thank you for making them wait.

DON'T feel pressured to give your kids an allowance based on their pleas that "everyone else gets one." One study performed for a financial management group indicated that 44 percent of parents do not give their children allowances.

DON'T assume that if you do give your kids an allowance it must be tied to the chores they do. Allowances can simply be a way for kids to learn money management skills by having to finance their own discretionary purchases, and children should learn that helping around the house is part of being a family, not just something that is done for pay.

DON'T give in to the urge to carefully monitor and restrict your children's choices once you've established a budget for them. They'll learn better, faster, and longer from their own spending mistakes.

DON'T give your kids a credit card with carte blanche charging privileges. If you are considering giving them a credit card in their own names, try one with a fixed limit so that they must live within a prescribed budget.

DON'T share too much personal financial information with your child. Although it doesn't hurt to tell your kids enough for them to appreciate that money doesn't grow on trees and that running a household involves a lot of expenses, the particulars of the family finances are best left to the adults.