Teach kids to adult

I’m not saying to ruin their sense of wonder. (You should spend some time re-discovering yours. Yes, you.)

But teach your kids to adult. Teach them to do laundry. For themselves and for the family. Teach them to work for the benefit of others without pay. Required daily and weekly chores are good. Teach them to talk about and use money smartly. They can, if you teach them the discipline. Have them do grocery shopping; have them cook dinners.

Help your kid start a business. Fund it. It could be selling beverages on the roadside. And for the sake of all that is holy, help them figure out how to advertise appropriately for that: drivers in cars need at least 500 feet of advanced notice to know there is a kid business selling beverages. So make and place readable signs at least that far away. (This lesson alone will give your kid a chance.)

Bankroll the initial funding round, but force them to bootstrap it afterward. And keep a portion of the business to teach them how investors make money. Officially start the business with local and state governments. By paying taxes, they’ll quickly realize how that aspect of adulting works.

There are literally hundreds of other things that you know that your kids need to. Be willing to teach them, and if you don’t know them, it’s time to learn.