“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is Roots, the other, Wings”. Hodding Carter
Parents or guardians are the major backbone for children’s career choices. Naturally, they want their children to become successful individuals and have a fulfilling life. Note that a strong catalyst that determines this most times is the choice of career path. A child from a home that is built on great values would rather work hand in hand with the parents and vice versa in these decisions. Teachers in school also have a great influence on such decisions.
Our primary responsibility is to educate our children and give them various opportunities which should be guided and monitored, as knowledge should not only be restricted to school walls. Every child comes with a gift, and it is important for us as parents to identify, encourage, support and nurture the gifts of each child. The artist formally known as Prince knew he wanted to be a singer at the age of 12 and he worked towards that desire until he was given an opportunity at the age of 18, and that was just the break he needed.
This generation of children are quick to grasp things outside the confines of the classroom and it is obvious that knowledge passed to them should be more practical than theoretical as its more easily assimilated. They are ready to explore and try new things. They live by Confucius’s quote which says: I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
This reminds me of a true story about an 11 year old girl, Mikaila Ulmer, who was stung by a bee twice on the same day which left her with a very bad experience. Her parents wanted her to overcome her fears by suggesting that she does some research about bees. It was through this research that she was able to discover the means of saving bees by producing BeeSweet Lemonade, which is now sold in 55 stores all over the United States. Her parents directed and encouraged her by giving her an opportunity to express herself through her findings. Most noteworthy is that she turned a bad experience into a profitable venture. We need to make a shift from the spoon-feeding kind of education and switch to discovery and exploring type of learning.
[Do you know your child’s learning style?]
Gone are the days when parents dictate the career a child should pursue. It is while they are being educated that they should be given wide experiences that will allow them discover their skills and talents. We need to be sensitive to these talents and also listen to what the school has discovered. Also, through interactions, observations and some experiences that might occur in children’s growing and developing years, some things become apparent.
A child might display some interest in arts, computers, figures ,creative writing, sports. Your duty is to nurture such interests. We should not discourage our children or underestimate their imaginations, dreams and potentials. Our shortcomings should also not derail them from their own ambitions. They are fearless and quick to take on anything. The least we can do is provide them an enabling environment with guidance to help in nurturing these gifts. Most parents will do anything to make sure their children achieve their goals and push them to their destiny.
Age is not a limitation to greatness in this era; we should respect new and fresh ideas of younger minds. It is interesting to know that it was while exploring with computers that Mark Zuckerberg discovered Facebook in his college dormitory with his friends. No one knows the gift that God has put in the hands of each child. As the heritage of God, there are a lot of hidden treasures in them. There are many pioneer discoveries that are waiting to be birthed and that child in your home may just well be the next world acclaim composer, fashion designer, entertainer, scientist, beautician, inventor or creator… the list goes on! Do not make your child live the life you were deprived, or limit their opportunities.
[Tweet “Never underestimate children, listen to what they have, guide them and they will surprise you!”]
In the later stage of Secondary School, my dad told me to choose science subjects as that was the tradition in our home but I very well knew that I was not going to cope. In those days, you did what your parents tell you and didn’t have an opinion. Also considering that he was in the military, I had to obey. Luckily I was in boarding school. When I got back to school, I stuck to what I was comfortable with; which was the arts and social sciences, and I made sure I got good grades.
Same thing happened when I was to go to University; he wanted me to study Law and honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to study. So I went for a Law degree with no regrets. It was when it got to the post-graduate level, and he wanted me to apply for a masters in business administration that I felt the need to tell him I was not interested. I later discovered my passion and pursued my desire of becoming a teacher with his support.
Every child is different. For the child that knows: support, for the child that is unsure: guide, for the child that is clueless: push! Aside academics know where their interest lies and allow them discover and hone their skills.
Never underestimate children, listen to what they have, guide them and they will surprise you!
Contributor; Abimbola Somolu resides in Lagos. She is a certified couples and children’s counselor. She is the director of Playhouse Children Centre and a writer.
