What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? and Other Great Questions

I remember when my daughter was about three years old, I asked her for the first time what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said, “A bumble bee.” A few years later, around 6 years old, and she was more inclined to be choose a veterinarian. In my fifth grade year book, it is forever inscribed that I planned to be a horseback riding instructor when I grew up. I later changed to marine biologist, then photographer, ended up studying journalism in college and now am an entrepreneur dealing in marketing services. Plans change because interests and opportunities change, but if you never stop to think about what you want for yourself, someone else will choose for you. Thankfully we live in a society where we are only limited by our own ambition.

But what are we really asking when we say, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

To young kids, you can ask:

· What do you love to do?

· What makes you feel happy?

As they get older, the follow up questions can evolve to:

· What do you want to learn more about?

· Do you like to travel or stay close to home?

Around high school, you can start asking:

· How do you define success?

· What does failure look like to you?

· How do you want people to remember you?

All of this is meant to spark their creative imagination and find commonalities in desires over a long period of time, but what if they could start testing out their chosen profession now, rather than later?

In the book Kidpreneurs, Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas, the authors, Adam Toren and his brother Matthew Toren, ask “the big question” in chapter one. Why do they say it’s an important question? Sometimes adults do something completely different than what they wanted to do as kids because, “they didn’t have a plan to help them make their dreams come true.” The book is written to stoke a child’s desire to get involved in business early by fueling their curiosity in simple, engaging, creative, and safe ways. The philosophy behind the book is simple: The future of our children begins with us! Most people say, “It’s never too late.” The Torens say, “It’s never too early.” It's crucial that our

kids have options for self-employment and innovation. The benefits for an early introduction to the basic principles and infinite rewards of entrepreneurship are massive. In the book you will find:

· 9 information-packed chapters that break down otherwise difficult-to-understand business and entrepreneurship concepts like how to choose a business and networking in kid-friendly bites your child can easily read and enjoy.

· Fun multiple choice quizzes at the end of each chapter to ensure your child understands and retains everything they've just learned.

· Engaging, eye-catching page layouts that will hold your child's attention from start to finish – no boring text-only pages here!

· Inspiration, advice, and guidance that will show your child, yes, they really can start and manage their own profitable business venture – right now!

· Resources and sample business plans so your child can immediately take what they've learned and apply it to their life .

· …and much more

Why not ask your kids what they want to be when they grow up and then helping them work towards making it possible now? Entrepreneurship fuels creativity, but also helps separate the possible, from the impossible, from the maybe later.

Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

For more information, visit: www.kidpreneursbook.com

Ready to make a purchase? Shop through our Amazon affiliate:

Contribution by Stephanie Threinen