After graduation, do you want your son to have a job, a career, or a talent?
Here’s how to do it:
For a job – don’t plan for anything and hope he figures it all out after he’s 18.
For a career – suppress his uniqueness, load up on student loans, and have him study real hard following a traditional school curriculum or certified training program. Hope he gets hired by the corporate world so he can fit into the top of the predetermined pay band.
For a talent – start him young and have him keep combining skills in a way that is unusually effective, different, and pleasing to other people. Watch his passion carry through him into old age.
I have been following your blog for awhile and recommend it to all my friends who have children. I myself have two young boys and am so relieved by what you share. How I wish my parents were more like you with your children. They failed to notice mine or my brothers talents and even pushed us from them. I definitely was on the “career” path and let me tell you how miserably that has failed. Thank you for validating my desire to help my children be successful in their own unique ways and to break out of any “mold”. Their talents can bring them success with guidance.
Thanks for the kind words of affirmation, Lauren. In some ways, we live in exciting educational times for children. There has NEVER been as much potential as now – if one takes advantage of the change. A couple years ago it really hit me at how much of an educational revolution is happening, when I spotted a friend’s photo showing their son who had just graduated from a traditional college degree. And it showed him on the campus green reading from an Kindle or an iPad! not reading from a textbook or getting his latest information from the college he just graduated from. The parents spent enormous energy and effort to get their child to do something that in the end was practically free for that young person from an information perspective.
So true, especially for my daughter. She is such a good writer. But, only showing me was ho-hum for her. Especially since I assigned varied subjects just to make sure she was learning. In other words not using her interest to build her knowledge.
So starting a blog with your help using her unique interest. She is getting positive comments from total strangers. Now, she is motivated! If strangers think she is good, not just mom who in her words “has to say her writing is good”. Now her talent is growing. At first she did not want to do all the work and wanted to just hide what she did for fear of ridicule. Now she is “on fire!” A blog combining her writing, fun video editing, her special interest (key), and art with positive feedback has catapulted her into the next level. Her work has meaning and includes an interest or subject she is passionate about. What a great program.
A large chunk of her studies is now professionally tailored to build talent and self esteem! Literally walking taller when she gets that outside feedback!