Does talking to children about entrepreneurship at an early age make sense? Our school system is set up to lead our children into the workplace as employees, not employers. Now don't get me wrong, we as a society definitely need employees: police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, etc., but why not shine some light on entrepreneurship too?
Incorporating the
principles and philosophies of success with an emphasis on teamwork, community
involvement, and entrepreneurship go well with all types of learners of varying
ages. Children deserve the opportunity to at least hear about what
entrepreneurship is, why they may want to be entrepreneurial when they could
do this, and, of course, how to be an entrepreneur. We find that children are
very responsive when talking about making money on their own. As early as six
years of age, children are starting to realize the importance of making
their own money vs. working for someone else. Unfortunately, not enough children
in the world are being introduced to this kind of lifestyle. So below you will
find some great tips, in no particular order, to help introduce your child to
entrepreneurship.
1. Story Time
A great way to get
your child started is by sharing with them inspiring stories of kids today, who
are already entrepreneurs. The internet is a great resource, making available
great stories about kid entrepreneurs from around the world, what they are
doing right now and how they are doing it. When sharing inspiring kid
entrepreneur stories ask your children questions like: How did they do that?
Why did they do it? Do you think you can do something like that? What makes you
feel that way? If you get an answer like "I can't do that," then just
follow up with "Well, if you could do that, how would you do it?"
This usually gets an answer. Oh, and don't forget to show your kids pictures,
watch video's or check out news clips of kid entrepreneurs. It's also quite
effective when kids hear the stories right from another kid's mouth.
2. Field Trip Fun
Contact local
businesses, churches, or news agencies to see if you could arrange for your kids
to visit with them and get a behind-the-scenes look at how the particular
business operates. Approach businesses that hold a high-interest level for your
kids. Let the places know that you are interested in a behind-the-scenes look at
their business operations for your children and their friends who are learning
about entrepreneurship. I highly recommend that you bring your children's
friends too, so you all can enjoy the experience together and so that your
child has like-minded individuals to discuss their findings with.
3. Raising Some
Bucks
Have a fundraiser
for a cause that is very important to your child or has them pick products
they think they can sell either in the neighborhood or to local businesses. Let
your kids bring in some of their friends that want to be a part of the action.
Have them brainstorm ideas and narrow the list down to a few that they all
agree on. Assist them in organizing the timing and the locations they conduct these
"business meetings."
4. Make Planning
Fun
Start planning with
your kids. For the younger kids create a plan book from scratch, even some of
the older kids can get into this too. Design it however they want. They can add
stickers or make fancy title pages within their planner. The point here is for
them to personalize it as much as they like. You can even pick up an
inexpensive planner for their use. Talk to them about the importance of using
the planner daily, and getting into the habit of planning for each day the
night before. Explain to them how this will start to free up more time for them
to do the things they want to be doing, instead of just doing the things they
have to be doing as they become more focused. In addition to a planner/goal
book, have children create a journal as well, writing down brief entries into a
personal journal on a daily basis of things that interest or perplex them is a
great way to get them started with being responsible, planning for their
future, and allowing them time for natural, real-world problem-solving!
5. Use Your
Imagination
Go online or to
your library and search for wonderful places around the globe that you would
love to visit sometime in your life. Have the kids look through books or at
websites. Take notice as to what types of places intrigue them the most and
talk about those places. Ask them what they would have to do in order to get to
visit these wonderful places. Have them search how much it would cost to fly
there if you were to leave today. What could they do to raise enough money for
a trip like that? What other expenses may they encounter planning for a trip to
that location? If it's something they really want to do have them list it in
their journal as one of their goals and then start to list all the things they
need to do in order to reach that goal.
6. Break Out the
Seasonings
Sharpen you
children's sense and general memory by playing memory games/puzzles. Play silly
and fun games like "Identify that smell" or "Name that
object" where children are paired off in teams and try to identify
blindfolded certain odors or identify what object they are touching without
being able to see it. Not only is it fun but it will also help enhance the
brain performance of its participants. Thereby increasing creativity and
problem-solving abilities, two key ingredients in becoming an entrepreneur!
7. Don't be shy
I know that there
is a lot of old-fashioned parents out there that think that the household
finances should be top secret and not discussed with children. When it comes to
bill time or any time money needs to be discussed, don't be shy. Share with
children the expenses and income you manage each month and each year. Show them
the bills you pay, how much they are, and when they are due. Explain to them
how you make your payments on these bills. If you write checks to pay them,
then have them help you with that. If you pay some of your bills online, have
them help with that too. Don't be shy, show them how you balance your checkbook
and keep track of your finances. If you're not sure how yourself, research it
online or at the library and learn it with your children. You would be
surprised as to how many kids are actually interested in learning how to pay
bills, balance a bank account, or even create a budget...and it increases their
interest in math by giving them a purpose for learning the subject!
8. Try Something
Different
Have a "what I
want to be when I grow up" party with your child and their friends; where
everyone comes to the party as what they want to be when they grow up. Children
play the role and parents encourage by catering to the children's needs. You
can give prizes to the kids for acting their parts and encourage role-playing. This will help them see themselves now as they could potentially
become in the future, bringing the feelings of success of what it would feel
like. By the parents catering to the "grown-ups" needs, the kids get
the idea of what respectful/professional treatment would seem like when they
actually reach their goals.
Conclusion
These unique tips
are a great starting point to introduce entrepreneurship to children. Informing
children at an early age about entrepreneurship gives them more time to really
find within themselves the things that they want to do in life. The things that
make them happy. Many successful people agree that part of success is doing the
things you love to do. The more time children get to explore different things
(with this future awareness in mind) the better chance they have of finding
their true passions and going forward with them successfully.
Credit: Dan Rooney
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