Teaching Children About Money: NatWest Pigs

Teaching children about money is vital to prevent them hitting financial troubles in later life. So many of us grew up with the NatWest pigs — those chunky little ceramic characters that sat proudly on bedroom shelves and made saving feel like something magical. They weren’t just ornaments; they were part of our childhood story. And for many mums, they became the first way we learned to talk about money, saving, and independence.

I still remember the excitement of opening a new account and being handed one of the pigs. It felt like a rite of passage — a tiny moment of responsibility wrapped in nostalgia. Looking back now, I realise how much those simple objects shaped the way I think about money and how I teach my own children about it. They were financial education for kids in action.

🐷 Why the NatWest Pigs Mattered for teaching children about money

The pigs weren’t just cute. They represented something bigger:

• Saving felt fun, not stressful
• Money became visible, not abstract
• Children learned patience, watching their pig fill slowly
• Parents had a simple way of teaching children about money

In a world where everything is digital, those pigs were wonderfully tactile. You could hold your savings. You could see your progress. You could feel proud of it.

🌸 Teaching children about money

As mums, we’re often the ones who quietly teach the everyday life skills — budgeting, saving, planning ahead. The NatWest pigs gave us a starting point, and many of us still use similar ideas today.

Here are the lessons I’ve carried forward:

• Make saving visible — children understand better when they can see progress
• Celebrate small wins — every coin matters
• Talk openly about money — confidence grows from conversation
• Use stories — children remember what things mean, not just what they cost

The pigs helped us learn these lessons ourselves, and now we pass them on.

🐽 The Nostalgia We Still Carry

There’s something lovely about how many women still treasure their NatWest pigs. Some keep them on shelves. Some pass them down. Some hunt for missing pigs on eBay or car boot sales to complete the set.

They’re more than collectibles — they’re reminders of a time when saving felt simple and hopeful.

💬 What the NatWest Pigs Teach Us Today

Even though the world has changed, the core message hasn’t:

Teaching children about money doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be consistent, visible, and positive.

Whether it’s a pig, a jar, an app, or a simple conversation at the kitchen table, the goal is the same: helping our children grow into confident, capable adults who understand how to manage their money.

And maybe, just maybe, giving them a little nostalgia of their own.

Every woman carries moments that shaped her. If you feel ready to share one of yours, you’re welcome to add it to my What’s Your Story? space — a gentle corner of the internet where real voices matter.