Start where you are.
What matters most depends on your child's stage. Each page tells you what to do now, what is coming next, and, just as usefully, what you can safely ignore for a while.
0-2 Babies and toddlers The most expensive stretch per year that most families will face, and the one with the least sleep. Costs concentrate in childcare, feeding, and diapers. 3-5 Preschool years Childcare costs usually start to ease, and this is the first stage where routines and small responsibilities genuinely stick. 6-9 Early school years The stage where money lessons actually land, chores become real, and the weekly schedule starts to fill up. 10-12 Tweens The bridge stage. Money gets more serious, devices arrive, and the focus starts shifting from managing your child to teaching them to manage themselves. 13-15 Early teens Preparation becomes urgent. The time left to build independence is now measured in a handful of years, not a vague future. 16-18 Late teens The last stretch. The goal shifts from teaching to handing over, and anything they cannot do yet is about to become their problem. 18+ Young adults Your child is legally an adult. The useful question changes from what you should do for them to what support actually helps.