Christine Donavan, a parent coach certified through the Parent Coaching Institute (PCI), has released her latest book, From Allowance to Independence, now available for parents seeking practical guidance on teaching children about money. The book, co-authored with Certified Financial Planner® Dylan Martin, applies the effective system from Donavan’s previous acclaimed work, Let, Lift, & Listen: A Timeless Framework for Effective, Guilt-Free Parenting of all Ages and Stages, to the topic of financial stewardship.
The release addresses a common challenge raised by parents in coaching sessions. Donavan explains, “Often I hear, ‘My child is so entitled. How do I teach them to be more grateful and appreciative of what we give them? How and when do I give an allowance? Do I pay for chores? They don’t understand money.’” Rather than using valuable coaching time to teach money basics, Donavan wanted to provide a simple framework parents could use independently. “In short, the book removes the ‘teaching’ so I can focus on the ‘coaching,’” she says.
The book offers a basic framework and easy-to-follow guide to the mechanics of teaching children—from toddlers to teens—money management, along with inspirational ideas such as saving money to do good in the world. Parents also gain thoughtful ways to achieve clarity on the values they want their children to have about money. “The focus on values is what I value most about this book,” states Gloria DeGaetano, Founder and CEO of the Parent Coaching Institute. “Most other books on this topic stress the material aspect. Not this one. Sure, it teaches kids of all ages how to save, budget and spend wisely, but even more important the book focuses on the why of saving, budgeting, spending, while adding the importance of giving generously. This makes it an extraordinarily useful tool for parents wanting to keep material assets in the context of not only ‘How can they help me?’ but also ‘How can my material assets help others?’”
Donavan notes that the book adds an innovative component to her PCI parent coaching practice. Clients can read the book and bring ideas and questions to coaching sessions, allowing her to stay in the coaching role and focus on helping each parent work through money conversations in their unique family.
Her approach aligns with the mission of the Parent Coaching Institute. PCI Certified Parent Coaches® address the unique needs of each family. With its strength-based coaching model, PCI is recognized as an innovative leader in family support, attracting highly skilled professionals to its year-long, online Parent Coach Certification® program. Offered in affiliation with Southern New Hampshire University, the graduate-level training program enrolls family support professionals through an application process. Applications will be accepted from Dec. 1 to Feb. 1, 2027 for the 2027 Spring Term, which begins at the end of February.
