Enhancing children’s children’s “business capabilities

Parents who want to increase their children’s “business capabilities” and bring them up to become entrepreneurs can take the following steps to enhance their children’s skills and competence in this area, from a very young age:

Help them develop their imagination and creative abilities by engaging them in activities like colouring books, blocks, cubes, origami, quizzes, etc. which push them to innovate and try new things. The current habit of watching television and playing games on the computer and mobile stunts their ability to think and do for themselves.

Take on leadership roles

Encourage them to take on leadership roles. Leaders are not always born, they can be taught and trained to become leaders. So teach your children how to get others to listen to them and follow their example.

Teach them to be friendly with others. Encourage them to be proactive and take the first step to meeting and getting to know new people. This can start by making friends in the park as a baby and carrying on in life with the same attitude.

Certain other things

Certain other things that parents have to realize and inculcate are:

Never pressurize your children to be perfect. Do not force them to win at everything or get the highest marks in every exam or become the school captain. When you force them or reproach them for not being the best, they get demotivated and  may react in negative ways. Let them do the best that they can. Give them the strength and support to be able to deal with failure. Teach them there is no shame in failing – it is a part of life, an opportunity to learn.

Praise children when they deserve it, tell when they are wrong and guide them to correct it. Do not praise when it is undeserved because it signals that is right to be below par or okay to do wrong.

Do not micromanage their lives, give them the freedom to do their own work in their own way. Guide them, advise them but do not take on their work. If they know you will take on their tasks they will never learn to be responsible or self-confident. They will depend on you all their lives and fail to take their lives into their own hands.