5 Ways You Can Help Your Child

“YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE”; 5 WAYS TO TURN THE MYTH INTO REALITY

You can be anything you want to be. It’s a complete lie… or is it? The reality is, without a plan, your child will not become whatever they want. By the time they realize what needs to be done to achieve their biggest dreams, it is too late. That’s where you come in! Here are 5 ways you can make sure your child is on the path to be whatever they want to be, whenever they decide what that is! These tips will not only open doors for your child, but will give them the confidence to go through them.

1. Math opens doors. Even if your child HATES math, or thinks they will never use it in their career, having a broad, strong math background will bring more opportunities. Your child will have their pick of career paths if they have a variety of math skills under their belt. Math also teaches us many different ways of thinking and gives us strategy and logic practice – which will get your child far on any path they choose.
2. Foreign language opens even more doors. Speaking more than just a native language makes even more doors fly open. Spanish has become more and more prevalent in the U.S., creating a lot of options for those who speak it in addition to English. Even Canada has a strong French population. Business opportunities for fluent Chinese speakers also abound. Latin, though not spoken as a conversational language, it is the root of many other languages, is considered an elite language, and has many many uses which you can see for yourself here: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2011/02/forget-mandarin-latin-is-the-key-to-success/    and here: http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/top-10-reasons-studying-latin
3. Show them the world. Open a running dialog with your child about what’s out there! Many children grow up believing they should enter the same field as their parents or grandparents. Many children are only exposed to the basic careers they see in their own town: teacher, doctor, lawyer, police, fireman, mailman, etc. Travel. If you can’t travel, talk about the world as much as possible. Every time your child expresses interest in something (anything!) talk about how they can incorporate that interest in a career.
4. Go for the goal. Before you can make a plan, you need goals. Ask your child about what they want their future life to look like: Do they see themselves with a big family? Do they want to work for a big company or be their own boss? Are they leaning toward something creative or more toward science? Are they a team player or a leader or a loner? Do they want loads of money and an extravagant lifestyle or do they want to live minimally and modestly? Once they have a picture of what they want their life to look like, then they can explore professional paths that support what makes them happy. Review and adjust these goals with your child regularly. Remember: you probably didn’t stick with the same visions you had as a child.
5. Be your child’s biggest advocate. No one will stick up for your child like you will. Don’t let them be pushed into classes they don’t want or need because of space in school or convenience to teachers. If your child can’t get what they need at school, find them supplemental activities outside of what they are already offered (i.e. dance lessons, math tutoring, art classes, computer clubs, etc.) If they need help in a subject, fight until they get the attention and assistance they need. If they are advancing quicker than others their age, keep feeding them more at that fast pace. Remember, your child is an individual. If they are treated the same as the masses, they’ll end up blending into the masses and resorting to whatever career path is left over… working their way into middle management.