Children are natural-born entrepreneurs – just listen the next time your 4-year-old is giving you the sales pitch on going for ice cream instead of cleaning up the playroom. Helping develop their entrepreneurial skills will lay the foundation for skills that will serve them for life. Fundamental life skills, like math, budgeting, decision-making, and hard work, can be taught to kids under the age of 5 using everyday situations.
#1: Basic math and counting – Count to 10 or more on shopping trips. Assign them simple tasks like keeping track of how many items are in the cart or basket and handing the money to the cashier. Talk about how much each item costs and if possible, use cash so they can see how currency is used in commerce.
#2: Sort based on specific features – Ask your kids to help you sort things for your business, such as products, marketing literature, business cards from networking event and so on. Not only does it give your kids practices sorting, it helps them feel involved in your business.
#3: Choose from limited options – Let your kids participate in price shopping for household purchases. Discuss weekly grocery planning and budgeting by reviewing the weekly grocery ads and let them help you prepare a menu for the week based on the shopping list. Not only does it introduce budgeting, it teaches them how to make choices.
#4: Understand the value of hard work – Ask your kids to help out as soon as they are old enough to walk. Decide which jobs are expected of your kids as members of the family and which ones are ‘for pay’. For example, cleaning up their own messes counts as a job kids just do because they are a part of the family; whereas, helping Mom and Dad unload the dishwasher is a for pay job. The point of for pay jobs is to allow kids to earn money to pay for purchases at the store.
#5: Learn how to do well as a team player – A challenge for kids growing up in a digital world who may not want to be team players and instead do things entirely on their own. Encouraging participation in family events, such as family nights, special family outings and doing service together as a family, not only contributes it family unity, it teaches an important life skill.
#6: Shake hands and make eye contact – Teach your kids how to shake hands confidently and look people in the eye. Teaching kids how to make eye contact not only teaches business etiquette, it helps them learn to gauge others by their eye contact.
#7: Introduce themselves (over the phone, in a video or in public) – Expose your kids to public speaking early by having them practice introducing themselves. Use a game called, “I’m going on a trip” where each person takes turns introducing themselves and listing one item they will be taking with them. It goes like this, “I’m Sarah Cook and I’m going on a trip and I am going to take with me a suitcase.” The next person says their name, what they will be taking AND all of the previous people and their items.
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