How to make your child become the next Jack Ma?

Everyone knows this big boss. Countless people in China call him \”Dad\”. Do you want him to call you \”Dad\”? ……it\’s out of the question! However, you can train your child to be a successful entrepreneur and the next Jack Ma! However, in China, the careers that children in kindergarten most look forward to are doctors, teachers, police officers, scientists, and artists. Until the sixth grade of primary school, children’s expectations for future careers still remain in these fields (Lee & Chou, 2014). Because what children expect from their parents is to become \”useful people\” through learning and find a good job in the future; school education tells children to become scientists or astronauts; the media suggests that children become actors or singers It will be very beautiful. Our education makes children expect to be selected by organizations and companies. If they are selected and get a good job, they are successful. If they are not selected, they will be unemployed and stay at home, which is failure. However, Cameron Herold gave us a new idea in his Ted Talk: Why not try to teach children to become entrepreneurs, to be people who choose others? What should parents do if they want their children to become entrepreneurs? 1 Parents’ occupational identity American sociologists Kim, Aldrich, and Keister (2006) discovered a surprising phenomenon: if both parents are entrepreneurs, the probability of children becoming entrepreneurs is no higher than that of ordinary families; even, for girls, They said that growing up in a family where both parents were entrepreneurs made them even more reluctant to start their own businesses. Because it is not the parents’ work that affects children’s career orientation, but their views on work. If parents often say to their children: \”Baby, you want to be a civil servant like your neighbor\’s brother\”, then the child is more likely to become an office worker; if you want your children to regard entrepreneurship as a life goal, parents must show their interest in an entrepreneurial career. Appreciation, such as telling your children stories about Steve Jobs while they are playing games on their iPads. 2. Not giving a fixed amount of pocket money at a fixed time and a fixed amount will make children expect to work for others and get paid on time. When your child asks you for pocket money to buy something, ask him/her: \”I know you want to buy a game console. What are you going to use in exchange for the money? Help me wash dishes for two months? Or tell me what else you want to do.\” What?\” Perhaps, after the child gets used to the rules, he will take the initiative to ask you: \”Mom, I will buy groceries for you this week, how much do you plan to pay me?\” The child will not have a fixed income, but will have more opportunities to find Various things to do. And I also learned how to bargain to make my efforts more valuable. 3. Let your children tell stories. Telling stories and reading picture books can promote the development of children\’s cognitive abilities, but in addition, you can also let your children tell you stories. For example, ask the child: \”Tell me about the cartoon you just watched. What did the protagonist do today?\” After the child finishes telling, you can continue to ask: \”Guess what plot will be shown in tomorrow\’s cartoon?\” Let the child make up the story. Go on, so that they can learn to think independently and be creative. You can even let your child stand in front of many people and tell his or her story.Children\’s ability to speak and perform in front of relatives and friends, and to face the public is also an ability that entrepreneurs need. 4. How can selling unused toys cultivate children’s business thinking? The most cliche answer is to let your children open a small workshop selling drinks and comic books to make money, but this is obviously not in line with the national conditions. You can let your children sort out the toys they don’t want and say, “Baby, why don’t you hang these on Xianyu and sell them? Then you can buy new toys!” In this way, your children can learn to describe and sell products, and value them. Make bids and negotiate terms with buyers (Herold, 2010). Trading on the Internet is as fun as a game for children. 5 Encourage risk-taking Research shows that some people have entrepreneurial ideas and abilities but delay taking action, probably because of fear of failure and uneasiness about changes in the pace of life (Gottlieb, Townsend & Xu, 2017). So, don’t let fear of the unknown limit your child’s future. Parents should encourage their children to explore the surrounding environment, guide their children to ask questions, and cultivate a brain full of curiosity about the world. American educators Tulley and Spiegler (2011) proposed that children must eventually learn to deal with various dangers, so try to let your children try lighting matches, climbing trees, throwing javelins, dismantling home appliances, walking to school… Small adventures can improve their ability to control their environment. Independence, persistence, courage, and introspection are all entrepreneurial qualities that can be cultivated in children. This does not mean that we hope that children will not become doctors and teachers, but that we should put the ideal of entrepreneurs on an equal footing with other ideals and provide children with more choices to realize their potential, challenge and conquer.