As an entrepreneur, what I have noticed over the last year and a half is that a lot of business owners are NOT teaching their children how to do the same. We, as business owners begin this process of being our own boss for the sake of the family. We want the best for the children like college for example. Well, if you are a business owner it quite possibly was not because you went to college and they taught you how to do that. In fact, what you learned, if you attended was how to get a job. Is this really what you want for your child? If you say yes, then something is wrong with that picture. Let me help you straighten it out a bit.
When I began my journey to live my dream and do that without having a boss to report to it changed the game for me completely. I grew up in a household where the adults left every day to earn money for the family on someone else’s job. Occasionally the adults would talk about owning their own business. This ‘thought’ alone stirred something up inside me that I could not let go of for many years to come. It was an exciting thought to me. The Jefferson’s were one of my favorite shows as a child and it was great to see people who looked like my family ‘own’ their own company. Even though my parents never did own their own business, it didn’t stop me from thinking this was a great opportunity to pursue.
I believe I would have owned a business sooner if that ‘idea’ had been nurtured. As my children see me, I have noticed them taking more risks of venturing out on their and using their gifts. They ask me questions and I am transparent in my responses to them. My eleven year old asked me one morning when I dropped him off for school, “What will you do with your day?” And I was pleased to be able to tell him that my goal was to solve a problem that dealt with my business. Because solving this particular problem would allow me to grow my company a little more. He seemed to understand and gave an approving nod.
I have shared this little bit with you to simply say, tap into what your child has been given as a gift. See how they would like to use that gift in their lives. Refuse to block them from growing in that gift. A lot of well-meaning parents have the tendency to want our children to be on a ‘safe’ course in life. These well-meaning parents will suggest their child joins a company with security and benefits. As we can see for the moment lots of people are getting laid off and may even be faced with not being able to get unemployment. Do these people have a plan B? Don’t let this happen to your child.
Nurture the entrepreneur in them, starting today. It is difficult to change a person’s mindset after they have been hit by life. Catch your child early and help them develop how they will invest in their future. When you are your own boss you are more likely to have your fingertips on the pulse of change. You will be able to make adjustments in your company, you have control. Don’t leave your child out in the cold by not showing them the power that lies within them.
Source by Katherine Y Waddell