Help! My child is an entrepreneur!
A very common question recently:
My teenage son/daughter is selling this on carousell and the other online sites. I am afraid he/she will not focus on his/her studies.
You are not alone.
Just in the past year, I have parents telling me about their children who sell shoes, clothes, fashion accessories and even fish online! They were worried and had asked for advice on how to stop their children.
My take.
1. Just because we are not unfamiliar with what they are doing doesn’t mean it is bad.
2. What were we doing at 14? I was studying, and sometimes, procrastinating.
I wasn’t trying to earn money of any sorts. We should applaud such an entrepreneurial spirit instead! Some of the students tell me they earn more than a thousand a month and I think it’s pretty remarkable.
3. I would rather my child earn some money than gamble/drink/smoke/join a gang.
What could the parents do?
1. Don’t push away the children by objecting fervently immediately.
Listen to them, share their interests. At the very least, they will still share with you what they are doing.
2. Advise them
You know better indeed. Make this a teaching opportunity.
-Teach them marketing strategies.
-Teach them how to write to lure more buyers. The art of writing.
– Teach them finance literacy. How they could invest the money they have earned, not spend more than they have made.
– Be by their side when they meet people who default payment because that is a life lesson too. Teach them what they should do and how they could approach the situation to make it a win-win for everyone.
– Teach them how to balance their time between studies and work.
As you can see, I am absolutely for this. It is not just a teachable moment, but also a rare opportunity for parents to bond with their teenage kids, who otherwise want to have little to do with their fathers and mothers.
Don’t worry so much. It will run its course and maybe your child would be interested in another fad soon. If it doesn’t go away, how many people, including adults, know for sure what they want in life?
You should be proud your child is so single-minded and determined at a young age. ☺
#thursdayswithwei #parenthood #teenager #financialliteracy #rebellious #entrepreneur #youngentrepreneurs