How to raise a child entrepreneur

We share with you the wonderful story of Jake Johnson, who certainly knows how to help your child form a correct attitude towards their future profession.

What your parents told you about the money? If your childhood was like mine, then you say that the money you need to earn their own labor.

As a child, I had a kind of a weekly allowance. My parents were to me a list of household chores. Every week I had to throw out the garbage, washing dishes, vacuuming and washing. For this, I got $ 5.

Then it seemed to me a great deal, but what could I know? I was a child. Looking back, I realize that my "salary" was about $ 0.5 per hour. On the part of the parents, it was a very generous thing to do.

Now I'm a father of two boys - Liam and Dylan, and now I'm trying to decide if I need to introduce such a "remuneration" in my own home.

This is my eldest son, Liam. He is seven years. He's an amazing, unusual, funny and, as you can see from the photo, cheerful. And he wants to earn some money.

In the end, there are a lot of things that he wants to buy. This and toys, and books, and computer games, and even a heap.

So, a few months ago Liam expressed a desire to receive from my allowance.

My first thought was to do as once did my parents: make a list of the required homework and establish a payment, that the sum was in favor of the child.

But a little reflection, I realized that if I do so, it will render a disservice to his son: the money thus obtained will form had the wrong view of things. Here are some of them wrong lessons.

Wrong lesson number 1. Time and tasks - this is your main product

Employees sell their time to entrepreneurs, carrying out his task in time, that put in front of them. You come into the office, hard work 8-10 hours, do everything you say, and in return receive a salary.

Your most valuable commodity as an employee - your time, or, more correctly, the tasks that you can perform in that time. The problem is that if you do not have time, you can sell (you are sick or have received a serious injury, for example), then you do not earn money. And if companies do not tend to buy your time simply because they do not have to have problems, then you will be unemployed, no matter how talented you are.

Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, do not sell their time and their ideas or products. They do not get paid for the hours spent on a task, and for the value that they can bring to society, and for the jobs that they are able to offer people.

If I pay Liam for his time and for the tasks that it performs, he may think that it is valuable to me. But this is not the case.

Wrong lesson number 2. Do only the necessary minimum

As a child, my goal was to finish as soon as possible with all the household chores, then to leave more time for walks and games. I'm not proud of my work - I just received money for their time and tried at this time to do the task as soon as possible. My parents constantly pull the rope they want me to do the best job possible, and I wanted to make this work as soon as possible.

In the future, we often projecting this model, when the act as hired workers. We have no property, our goal - just to perform tasks, without any special effort. I do not say that so do absolutely all the people, but most definitely do so.

I see this pattern of behavior in my son. I had almost forced him to perform tasks conscientiously. Entrepreneurs, however, know and understand how important it is - to be interested in their work and accomplish tasks conscientiously. Because in order to make a living, they need to not only get the job done quickly, but also quality, they put his heart and soul into their job - what do those who simply work out workers clock.

Wrong lesson number 3. The work can not be fun

If you sell your time, the natural result of this will be that your life, as it were split in two. Now Liam thinks that the work - this is a burden that he carries. In other words, he needs to go through the trouble to play freely. This forms a misconception: you start to look for work as a necessary evil, which gives you money, so you can do what you want.

Not only children, but adults can be customized as well. That is why you so often hear that people look forward to the weekend. That is why the phrase "Thank God, today is Friday!" Became a true anthem for the majority of employees.

The main purpose - to survive the work week to the weekend, "began the real life."

Entrepreneurs will never be such a mood, at least for the present owners. These entrepreneurs do not lay their life on the then - they live every day. They do not spend everyday in anticipation of the all-powerful output. They live, to solve problems and create something that will be of value not only for them but also for other people.

Thus, my wife and I decided not to introduce a system of benefits in our house. My dream is to have Liam, no matter what career path he chooses, it was the entrepreneurial attitude to work.

With this in mind, here's what we try to teach your child.

The correct lesson number 1. Not always and not for all pay

Liam still have things around the house. Every day he feeds the cat out the trash and cleans his room. But for this he does not receive nothing but the satisfaction of a job well done.

He, of course, protested. He believes that should be paid for it. But we have taught him that, because he was removed in his own house, he did not have to pay. Mom and Dad do not get paid for it, then, should not receive and it.

He is not yet fully aware of this, but we hope that soon he will understand: everyone should be responsible for something, and not always for it is something he required to pay the money.

The correct lesson number 2. Something worthwhile is obtained in the process of problem-solving

I am willing to pay a son for what he decides to any important issue. Liam I taught the following: if he wants to make money, he should pay attention to the world around him, to identify the problem to be solved, and offer his decision. That's when I'm ready to talk about compensation.

For example, in the autumn of Liam I noticed that too much of dry leaves in the yard. He approached me with a proposal: he will clean the yard, but for a fee. We have been negotiating for a long time concerning the amount and stopped at $ 10. He did a great job and got his honestly earned $ 10, which is pretty good for a child.

And he did not stop - he went on. The other day, he noticed that his father's car is too dirty. He offered to wash it for $ 5. I agreed. He then volunteered to wash the car their aunt, but asked for it any more $ 5 and $ 10.

At the end of the day, he decided that starting a business - is to wash cars. And proudly announced that he had already come up with the name "Car Liam."

The correct lesson number 3. Great business starts with a great plan

I was proud of Liam, because he wanted to open his own business, but I wanted him to have learned a few lessons. I asked him, by means of what he's going to wash the car. He told me that he would take the bucket out of the garage and a sponge from the bathroom. I told him it was a good idea, but these things were bought not for him. If he wants to start a business, he has to buy everything you need on your own money.

I then asked him how people learn about its service. He said he would put an identification mark. I replied that this one will not be enough. He needs a marketing plan.

Now we are working on this plan together. Liam now he knows that he has to buy everything you need for car and find a way to talk about his service throughout the city. He begins to realize how important it is - to plan their business.

The correct lesson number 4. Take a look at the work as a game that is fun

Liam like projects. One day he woke up at 6 o'clock in the morning and read a lot of magazines. When I asked him what was on his mind, from the answer that tries to understand what plane he wants to construct.

Children like to build something. A good example - Lego designer, millions of children all over the world just love it. The main lesson that Liam drew from this: the work can bring joy, especially if you are passionate about it.

In the end, I have absolutely no answers to all questions. All of the above is based only on the experience - and my Liam. But it is surprising to notice that my son begins to look at the world differently, not as in my childhood.

He still only seven, but I hope he really will open the business. A prerequisite for this is its changing views on money and business. I hope that what he had learned as a child, will be relying on the adult way for him, on which he will no doubt expect a lot of harsh lessons.

I am very glad that I notice in him a passion and interest: he looks at how to make money on project in which you want to solve problems, rather than as a problem to be solved somehow.

I see that he gradually begins to think like an entrepreneur. And regardless of what he would do with my life, this way of thinking will always help it stand out from the crowd.