When you think back to the things you wanted to be when you grew up as a young child, occupations like firefighter, actor, police officer, astronaut, and rock star probably come to mind. Though lately, more and more kids are thinking the job title “business owner” may suit them in later years.
I have two boys; the oldest, Ben, is in fourth grade and has recently taken to the title of ‘kidpreneur‘ which is basically a pint-sized version of an entrepreneur. Both my husband and I are entrepreneurs, and lately Ben has taken a particular interest in what we do – particular in the blogging aspect of my life, as he’s interested in starting up a blog of his own.
If you have a budding kidpreneur under your roof, it’s never too soon to start teaching them what you know about working in business to help them get a jump start on their journey. Here are three of my biggest tips to help support that entrepreneurial spirit!
Encourage creativity.
One characteristic all entrepreneurs, adults or otherwise, have in common is their almost child-like sense of creativity. Child-like in that it is still so easily accessible and that they can tap into that part of their brains with such abandon. Creativity is a trait that children are naturally born with, but unfortunately it can often dull down once they get older. Work on keeping that sense of wonder and imagination alive as your child grows up. Encourage your kids to approach every assignment and project they do as outside of the box as possible and to try out a little bit of everything to see if it works or not.
Support them in taking on leadership roles.
As parents we always hear how important participating in sports is for learning how to work well with others, to work hard, and, of course, to run around outside and get some exercise. They’re also great for learning leadership skills and learning how to act as a leader. On a baseball or softball team, there’s always the possibility of becoming captain, or even just coaching and giving tips to kids who are trying out for the sport is another way to help assist and pitch in. If your kidpreneur is less than sporty, running for class president, becoming the head of an after school French club, or auditioning for the lead in the school play are other good options for starting up on taking a shot at a leadership role at a young age.
Talk to the school about an entrepreneurship program.
Today, some schools are even working on developing entrepreneur programs for children attending elementary schools. Ask if it’s possible to sit in at a meeting with the board at your son or daughter’s school and see if there’s any interest in implementing any basic business know-how programs in the school’s curriculum. I bet you won’t be the only parent fond of the idea.