Kids are expensive. Whether it's constantly buying clothes they quickly grow out of, paying for school trips (or indeed schools) and topping up mobile phones for teenagers, it all adds up. 
And while they are totally engaged with the spending process, I find they are less interested in saving money: when I told my two that I am investing on their behalf into a Junior ISA, my words were met with just a vague nod of the head, as they concentrated more on their screens than on me.
So, I've found the easiest way to pique their interest is to talk about the stocks the funds are investing in. Not the 'boring' ones like BP or Barclays, but the 'exciting' ones they know and use themselves.
To help you do the same, we’ve identified five funds with products a child could identify.
Baillie Gifford Japanese: Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch was the present of choice in my son’s class last Christmas. As the product became the best-selling Nintendo console of all-time over the preceding US Thanksgiving period, it seems he and his friends are not alone.
The company is a holding in Baillie Gifford Japanese. One of the oldest Japan funds in the sector, this portfolio has delivered outstanding returns in the most difficult market conditions.
Managed by Matthew Brett and the wider Japanese equity team in Edinburgh, it targets companies with a positive industry background, durable competitive advantage, strong financial characteristics and management attitude aligned to the interests of shareholders. Typically, a member of the team visits Japan every 6-8 weeks to help uncover new and interesting trends.
TB Evenlode Global Income: Walt Disney
Walt Disney is known by children the world over for its classic animations such as Mickey Mouse and Frozen. But it also owns the Marvel franchise and has distributed films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so will appeal to all ages.
It's a holding in TB Evenlode Global Income, which was launched in November 2017 and aims to replicate the success of TB Evenlode Income.
Managed by Ben Peters and Chris Elliott, it invests in quality companies with three characteristics: asset-light business models; high barriers to entry which can't be disrupted easily; and their customers' decision to buy their product or service should not be determined completely by price.
Lazard US Equity Concentrated: Coca-Cola
While parents may try to avoid this fizzy drink, it is a popular treat and its global brand presence is undeniable. From Diet Coke to Cola it has a long history of sports marketing relationships having been the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic games in 1928, as well as sponsoring the FIFA World Cup and Major League Baseball, for example.
Lazard US Equity Concentrated has the company in its top five holdings. With positions as high as 9 per cent currently, this US fund typically holds no more than 20 to 25 companies, ranging in size from the fairly small all the way through to the very large. One tenet of the portfolio construction process is blending diversified cash flow stream. This helps ensure that the portfolio is not focused on any one theme or factor.
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust: Spotify
Spotify, the subscription streaming business, has grown to be a global product used by teenagers and adults all over the world.
Tom Slater, co-manager of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, is very enthusiastic about its prospects. He said recently: “While the music industry generally has struggled in the digital age, Spotify has given subscribers access to a huge catalogue of music for a reasonable monthly fee – importantly in a way that is mobile accessible and allows content discovery.”
Scottish Mortgage typically holds between 50 and 100 companies from around the world. Fund managers James Anderson and Tom Slater take a high conviction approach aiming to identify businesses which have the potential to disrupt their own industries, with sustainable business models in excess of five years. They are also able to invest up to 25 per cent of the portfolio in unlisted companies.
AXA Framlington American Growth: Apple
Whether its the iPhone, the iPad, the family Mac personal computer or the Apple Watch, most children have come across an Apple product either at home or at a friend's house. Founded in 1976, it went public in 1980 and, in August last year, became America's first trillion-dollar company.
It's a top ten holding in AXA Framlington American Growth and fits the bill of companies manager Steve Kelly looks for: those with innovation at their heart, unique brands and intellectual property – all the things that can give companies a competitive advantage, helping them grow into (and stay) market leaders.
The fund currently has 73 per cent invested in large-caps and 22 per cent in mid-caps. Around one-third of the portfolio is invested in the technology sector.
Darius McDermott is managing director at FundCalibre. The views expressed above are his own and should not be taken as investment advice.