Are you a parent who is worried about the future? Maybe your job situation has changed.

Most parents spend at least some time worrying about their children’s future lives, even when things are going well. Parents raising entrepreneurs can help their kids better prepare for a future that seems to raise more questions than answers.

Here are three ways parents can teach their kids about entrepreneurship.

  1. Encourage a strong and creative mindset.

Your child needs to look inward and outward while developing an entrepreneurial mindset.  You can help your child by asking them to consider the following questions:

  • What are their abilities/skills?
  • What does success look like?
  • What does failure look like?
  • How do they usually feel when they try something new?

Entrepreneurs are usually more comfortable with new situations. They often look at change and see opportunities compared to others who might see a change in terms of what’s being lost.

As a parent, you can guide your child to see the best in themselves, in others and in their situations. Talk with your child about viewing change in a positive way. You can also discuss how to look at mistakes and failures as opportunities to try again, learn and improve.

  1. Build skills.

It takes time and practice to help your child develop their talents and learn new entrepreneurial skills. These skills can include:

Help your child grow as young entrepreneurs by having them practice coming up with ideas, solving problems, and/or setting age-appropriate tasks.

Feel free to have fun. Turn learning entrepreneurial skills into games whenever you can. This can include negotiating what to eat for dinner.

  1. Look for opportunities.

Entrepreneurship includes risks, but it doesn’t have to start that way for you and your child. In fact, now is a great time to introduce opportunities to your child by playing and experimenting with business ideas in a supportive, low-risk environment.

You can talk about the businesses you encounter every day. Ask your child how these companies work, who they help, and which problems they handle. Learning about the needs of the businesses you already know helps your child think in that way.

You can also spark possible business ideas by asking your child about any problems they’ve noticed. For example, have they heard someone ask questions about how to use certain social media sites like Instagram or TikTok? Then ask your child what they could do to help someone solve that problem.

The key to coming up with a successful business is finding something that fills a need that other people have. You can talk to your child about how he or she can help other people.

Final Thoughts on Parents Raising Entrepreneurs

Parents can help their kids learn entrepreneurial skills that will help now and long after their children graduate from high school and college. You can:

  • Encourage a strong and creative mindset.
  • Build skills.
  • Look for opportunities.

Even during rapid changes in the economy and society, you and your child can have fun while learning about entrepreneurship and businesses. Making this an enjoyable journey will help you and your child look at the future as a chance for new opportunities.

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash