Well, I'm Chinese, but we live in the US... and my parents don't tell me how much they earn or how much they pay for bills. =\ I'm not sure what most American parents do, though.

Well, I'm American, my parents are American, and they never told me. I even asked them straight out several times when I was younger, because I was curious, and all they would say is, "We make enough." I think the general feeling is that it's not polite, even within your own family.

Come to think of it, I still don't know the exact total, though I could probably estimate.

When I was a kid, I would ask, and they would tell me, but tell me not to tell other people. Of course, when it comes time for college, it's impossible for the kid not to know, because it has to be on financial aid forms.

That does bring up a good point. I suppose as a kid I instinctively realized that I should not talk about money to other people, but it wasn't a secret within the family. Besides, as for not worrying about cash, my dad would constantly say "if you want to have that when you grow up, you need to make a lot of money blah blah."

Yep, I wouldn't have a clue how much my parents earn.

Not only did my mum never say anything, but when my brother had to get financial aid for uni, she did her best to make sure we didn't see the slips, how much it is, etc. I know it's partly because she doesn't want us ever to worry about money, no matter how little we have (while still being aware of how much things cost, somehow. :D), but I also got a very strong feeling that it's sort of... gauche, not done, to talk about money. Especially if you need it. When my friends start saying they can't afford something, it makes me hugely uncomfortable; unless I'm really pressed as to why I'm not going to do something I can't afford to do, I'll usually just say "I don't really feel like it."

Apparently Australian parents does it over here too. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I mean wouldn't it be a good idea to teach your children money sense earlier in life rather than having them screw up really badly first? Mum and dad's explanation was that they wanted me to know just how important money was. You can't just spent it recklessly, you need savings, and you have to budget for everything. Probably why even now I have problem spending money without thinking it through -_-;;

I'm American, and I still don't know EXACTLY how much they make. They do tell me how much their bills are, if I ask.

I'm American, parents are American, etc., and yeah. I didn't know what either of my parents were making before they retired, nor do I know what my brothers are making at their own workplaces. I don't think it's a case of it being embarrassing lack-of-money-wise, since I'm middle class and know we're well enough off; it was just never came up. I might have asked a couple times when I was a kid, but I think it was brushed off; and I learned the amounts when I had to fill out applications for college, but didn't remember them, because it didn't seem important by that point.

*shrug* I guess it's just one of those things, like telling your kids if they don't behave you'll sell them to gypsies. I've only ever heard people talk about money in that they personally don't have it, but rarely mentioning how the situation stands with their parents.

Heh. The funny thing is, for me, because I never have a really clear idea of what we have saved, I'm actually a much thriftier person than either of my parents. (Well, except in the case of books. Everyone needs one weakness.)

But yeah, I think it might be the location--and the economic situation while growing up?--that probably had an influence on it.

...my own situation as a child was pretty abnormal, since it was generally a case of "not enough, oh woe, the wolf is at the door, the IRS will seize the house, woe." O:p

However... No, I don't think most American parents tell children that data for quite some time. Probably because children will babble information to perfect strangers, and it's considered rude to talk about how much you are or are not paid. (Especially if it's a lot, I guess.)