How Do I Prepare My Child for the Future? By Mrs. Dorothy Barron

How Do I Prepare My Child for the Future? By Mrs. Dorothy Barron

Usually, when we talk about preparing a child for the future, discussion encompasses his/her educational future in the hopes that he/she will get a good education and as a result, a good job. Society often has gotten so wrapped up in formality and the formal education of the child that it has forgotten to encompass the “total being” of the individual.

With this in mind and in my opinion, the questions should be, what does my child need for the future and how do I prepare my child as a “total being”? After encountering, interacting with and assisting individuals at all ages and from various socio-economic levels, I have learned to “cut to the chase,” or get to the heart of a matter.

To answer the first part of the question, I briefly recounted history and saw a pattern which consists of 4 phases wherein members of society sustains/sustained self from a financial standpoint:

1.      The Individual Entrepreneurship- whether by necessity or choice, many individuals were self-employed. Some examples: farmers; cabinetmakers; blacksmiths; seamstresses; hairdressers, etc and etc.

2.      Industrialism- wars and factories replaced/displaced farm laborers and farms; many self-employed or solo entrepreneurs became factory workers or military employees.

3.      Corporations and Professionals- individuals obtained college and post graduate degrees and moved into professional jobs within the corporate world.

4.      Back to Individual Entrepreneurship- We are revolving full circle; more and more individuals are once again becoming self- employed and their businesses, if applicable, can even span globally.

What Does Your Child Need for the Future?

1.      He or she needs to be able to think independently and critically.

2.      He or she needs to possess interactive skills; the ability to engage with others, globally.

3.      He or she will need to possess self-confidence and self-esteem.

If your child possess these skills, he or she has the foundation to master many additional and necessary skills, create new ones and/or discover his/her inherent and unique talent, skill and/or ability; thus, preparing your child for the future and well on his/her way to becoming a “total being.”

How Do You Prepare Your Child?

Such can be summed up in one word - Exposure. You want to introduce your child to different experiences (places, cultures, food, traditions, etc.) and such does not have to cost you a fortune unless such is your preference. Exposure of which you should approve can occur in various ways:

1.      Visual- movies, videos, research on topics of interest via the Internet

2.      Mental- such entails something as simple as providing a child with books to read.  Make sure variety is available, but let your child seek that which interests he/she. The interest for many will expand to other topics and subjects, eventually.

3.      Physical- such entails your child having first hand exposure to an experience(s).

Mrs. Dorothy Barron, Author & Founder

Parents Taking Charge in Education- http://mrsdbarron.blogspot.com

E-mail: barron.Dorothy@yahoo.com