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Raising kids is hard. A parent's agenda is usually pretty much the same: surviving the day (week, month, year), closely followed by instilling kindness, generosity, and empathy in their children.
As a mom among 59.7% of entrepreneurs that have had at least one child when they launched their first business, I can't help but wonder if there's a certain mindset that sets us apart from others. And if so, how can I pass it on to my kids even in their earliest of years?
Courtesy of Eevi JonesEevi Jones.
Turns out, entrepreneurship has plenty to teach even our smallest of people. The best way to give our kids a shot at a bright and secure future is to help them understand these important principles early on.
Here are the three biggest entrepreneurial lessons I'm teaching my 5-year-old, even before he begins kindergarten:
Especially with little ones, we often overemphasize the importance of individual achievements.
With statements like "Wow! You did this all by yourself," or "Let's see who's fastest," we send the message that doing or accomplishing things on our own is the only way to success.
Within the entrepreneurial world, however, we've long come to understand that, as the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats."
"Tribes," "inner circles," and "masterminds" are all on the rise, because we've come to realize that the we is more important and more powerful than the me. Our potential is not limited by what we can achieve alone. Instead, it is determined by how we complement, contribute to, and benefit from one another, and from those around us.
Instead of solely praising and emphasizing individual achievements, collaboration and helping one another can and should be introduced and fostered early on. Our littles can achieve their biggest potential by helping others realize theirs.
2. Daring to be brave
By nature, entrepreneurs are risk-takers. It is often believed that taking risks implies that we're not afraid, but this couldn't be further from the truth.
It's important to let our little ones know that it's okay to be scared, but do go and give things a go anyway. Growth always happens beyond our comfort zone.
The fear of not being good enough, able enough, or smart enough should never hold us back from going after our goals and dreams. And the earlier we can ingrain these thoughts into our children's minds, the sooner they will come to understand that they have the power in themselves to overcome all of their fears.
3. Figuring it all out
One of the reasons entrepreneurs are able to continuously push themselves to new levels and heights is that they are self-starters and highly self-motivated. We've long come to understand that as long as we don't quit, we can't really lose.
Passing on our relentless optimism is one of the biggest gifts we can give to our children. Helping our little ones to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks, and changing the way they view and think about challenges will serve them for life.
Phrases like "I can't do this" or "This is too hard" are replaced by "I can figure this out" and "This problem has a solution." Teaching persistence and grit early on will help little ones realize that nothing in life is really that complicated.
Planting the seeds of the way entrepreneurs think and are motivated can be highly rewarding. And if little ones were to be exposed to these concepts and ideas during their most formative years, the deeply ingrained knowledge would be theirs for life. Just like their language becomes second nature, so too will having strong interpersonal skills, problem solving abilities, and self-confidence.
