It is best to have children manage their own money from an early age. When they want something, do not buy them, tell them to learn how to buy the toy,
Are you crazy,if a kid wants a toy you will tell him how to learn to buy a toy,is that what your parents said to you,there are levels in which you implement things to a kid,first and foremost he or she have to understand what you are trying to teach ,making them responsible and aware of things is one thing and asking a kid to think about buying a toy is another. 
I don't think he's being crazy, mate. Maybe you just misunderstood what he wants to tell us. Of course, if very young child, he or she cannot manage his or her own money without the guidance of their parents. But as time pass by they will learn when they see how their parents manage the money in a proper way. They should be taught how important to manage money and how to manage it so that in the long run they will just do it without asking for any guidance.