I’m a father of 3, and about that minivan life.
One thing that weighs heavily on me as an entrepreneur who, in the words of my nine year-old, “Eats, eats, eats…sleeps, sleeps, sleeps, works, works, works” – is making sure I make a positive impact on my kids.
Any parent who runs a business understands there’s limits on what you can do. Time is everything. You gotta support the fam. But the business needs you. It’s a constant, mental tug-o-war.
Currently I’m coaching my son’s basketball team, teaching my daughter life skills (you don’t get a Gucci handbag for cleaning your damn room), and watching my youngest son ball out in his first soccer season. But what else should I be doing before these kids hit 10 years old?
For those insights, I turned to Terkel.
What should parents do for kids before 10?
From developing a love for reading to teaching them how to swim, here are 6 answers to the question, “What’s the best thing you did for your kids before they turned 10?”
- Helped Them Sell Chicken Eggs
- Taught Them How to Swim
- Taught Them It’s Okay to Make Mistakes and Ask for Help
- Developing a Love for Reading
- Changed School District
- How to Navigate Through Places
Helped Them Sell Chicken Eggs
Even though our kids are still young, we’ve imparted numerous valuable lessons by involving them in selling chicken eggs within our neighborhood. Raising three chickens has given them a sense of responsibility as they take charge of feeding the hens, gathering the eggs, and delivering them to our customers. This hands-on experience has proven to be an effective way to teach them essential life skills such as the value of hard work, managing finances, giving back to the community through charity, and making thoughtful spending decisions. As our children grow up, we believe these lessons will serve as a solid foundation to navigate here for various challenges and opportunities that life presents.
Logan Mallory, Vice President of Marketing, Motivosity
Taught Them How to Swim
The best thing I have done for my kids before they turned 10 was teaching them how to swim. I thought it was an invaluable life skill to teach them at a young age and knew the benefits swimming has on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional being. I invested in regular lessons, made swimming a normal part of our family’s lives, and actively encouraged my kids to make swimming their hobby. The results were worth all the time and effort – now my kids are strong swimmers with an appreciation for humility.
Jim Campbell, Owner, Camp Media
Taught Them It’s Okay to Make Mistakes and Ask for Help
I remember being a perfectionist as a child. I was terrified to make a mistake, and if I did, I tried to hide it. I didn’t want my kids to live in that same fear, so I’ve made a conscious effort to help them embrace their mistakes and imperfections. Life gets messy; we all make errors, and we all need help sometimes. I want them to feel comfortable admitting their mistakes and not be afraid to try new things just because they aren’t sure if they will work. Most importantly, I want to be the first person they come to when they need help. Building these foundations before they turn 10 years old will hopefully make these lessons stick for the long term.
Alli Hill, Founder and Director, Fleurish Freelance
Developing a Love for Reading
I helped my son develop a love for reading, which makes me proud. As a bookworm, I have always dreamed of building a strong reading culture at home. That’s why I introduced books to my son when he was a baby. Of course, they were always tailored to his cognitive abilities, needs, and – with time – interests. Reading is precious for children. It increases general knowledge, stimulates the imagination, and enhances vocabulary growth. What’s more, according to many studies, reading for pleasure can have a positive impact on a child’s academic achievement and future success. I believe that getting my child hooked on books at a very early age was a great parental success.
Agata Szczepanek, Community Manager, LiveCareer
Changed School District
Moving to a top-rated school district should be extremely helpful for them for the rest of their lives. This should give them an extraordinary education when they are young and give them an advantage if they decide to apply for universities when they are older. We moved far from our friends and family so that we could find a top-rated school district that was within our budget, but hopefully, it’s an investment that will pay off.
Dena Darroch, Managing Partner, Magnolia Belle
How to Navigate through Places
Knowing how to read a map is, in my opinion, important, even if it’s one on your phone if you’ve ever found yourself lost while following your GPS’s turn-by-turn instructions. I let my child finish a treasure hunt, start geocaching, or guide me through a museum or zoo. Your child’s navigational skills will improve thanks to these activities. This is the reason I continue to teach my children how to use GPS.
Michael Lees, Chief Marketing Officer, EZLease
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