As children grow, they will acquire certain curiosities and interests in many different topics. These interests will become a greater part of their lives. It can be an interest in Mathematics, astronomy, sea life, comic books, engineering, and a whole lot more. These things can either turn out to just be hobbies for them or perhaps these can influence their career decisions.
If you want your kids to have an interest in business, you don’t really need to do away with their other interests. You can even marry their hobbies with the business if you do it right. You can help set your kids up for a better life with the following tips.
5 Ways to Get Kids Interested in Business
Make the idea of business appealing to them.
The main thing that makes people interested and hooked on something is if it appeals to their senses. Take a look at all the different pursuits and hobbies both children and adults are involved with: collectibles, sports, fashion, jewelry, child care, family time, movies, investments, business. These are all things that have a certain appeal to different people from all walks of life. These are things that different people value and care about.
If you want your kids to have an interest in business, you need to make it appealing to them. You need to show them how they can benefit as kids if they are more business-minded. In most cases, things such as having extra money to spend on toys, treats, and trips are enough to get younger kids on board. Teenagers, on the other hand, are more mature and can be motivated by making them think about having extra funds for college.
Teach them about money management.
Proper handling of finances is a skill that will serve your children well as they grow up. It teaches them the value of money and how everything — well, almost everything — in the world will cost you The earlier that they learn about important money habits and integrate it into their lives, the better off they will be.
One of the ways to get kids interested in business is by telling them that if they use their money wisely and make it work for them, they will have extra money to spend however they want to as long as it is within reason. Any money they make can either go to their savings or on occasional splurges.
For instance, if they have something big they plan to buy, such as the latest PlayStation 5 or Microsoft Xbox Series X/S, they need to have other sources of income to help them save for their wants. This is a great way to get them invested in the idea of starting a business.
Encourage and empower them to be enterprising.
A little encouragement goes a long way when it comes to children. Almost every kid seems to be highly motivated knowing that their parents are supportive and appreciative of what they’re doing. You can help empower your child to become an entrepreneur by encouraging them to sell items at a yard sale or online, whether it be old toys, clothes, shoes, books, and other stuff he or she no longer needs.
Develop and enhance their creativity and resourcefulness. If they’re a bit creative and have the talent or skill to create drawings, trinkets, and other arts and crafts, help them to sell their creations online. Perhaps you can ask help from some of your friends to check out your child’s items to give him or her a headstart.
Instill the value of hard work in them.
If there’s one thing that you should teach your children early in life, it is the importance and value of hard work. Children need to understand the way that the world works, that the concept of cause-and-effect is real.
You can even use something as simple as a game of Monopoly to help reinforce this lesson that things cost someone something and that there are consequences to every action or inaction. Give them chores to do around the house and occasionally reward them whenever they do an exemplary job. This teaches them that taking responsibility and ownership of things leads to rewards eventually, just like in business.
Let them earn their money.
The heart of any parent is if they would give their child anything they want if they only could. But parents also know that they can’t be there forever to give their kids what they want. There will come a time when they will have to fend for themselves to survive and thrive. As the saying goes, give the man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Truer words have never been uttered.
It is the parents’ responsibility to equip their children with whatever they will need to get through life. While it is also the parents’ duty to give their kids their allowance, teaching kids to earn money on the side for any of their wants is a great lesson in self-efficacy.
There is no ideal age for getting kids interested in business. It will still depend on how you, as a parent, will instill the right values in your children. Keep in mind that the things we do and say will have a lasting impact on their lives. If we want our kids to have better shots in life, we need to do our part today.
