Equip your children with mental skills

In our previous discussion, we looked at the importance of internal structure. What we are building into our children through our daily interaction with them is very important.
Raising our children in this day and age is challenging. We are not sure about tomorrow’s economic environment, or what will happen at the end of next week. Our lives are changing all the time. The American Department of Futureworks estimates that 65% of today's school kids will end up at jobs that haven’t been created yet. This means our children will be doing jobs that do not even exist today. This is why people all over the globe are asking questions about the future of education. Are we really busy teaching our children what is needed for a better future?
Howard Gardner, Ph.D., defined "Five Minds for the Future" which are mental skills that will be very important in the years ahead. The way we raise our children can give them a platform to develop these skills and other important characteristics and set them up for a successful life! Let’s take a look at these five minds.
A disciplined mind has developed a deep ongoing understanding of a specific area by mastering an important subject. This could be anything from carpentry to a deep understanding of history. So find out what interests your child. Start to develop these interests, it could become their future. This mind has self-control and wants to become an expert in a specific subject. Use every opportunity to teach your child to have ‘stickability’. Don’t allow him/her to quit halfway. Learn to finish every assignment.
The combining mind can understand and evaluate information from different sources and can make meaningful associations while avoiding false or fruitless ones. Teach your child to stay out of unfruitful discussions, for instance, don’t get stuck in the past. Find ways of becoming better so that the future will be better. Sport is an area that is very well suited to training our children for this. If your child loses a competition, stop blaming the referee or the coach (in order to make the child feel better), or anybody else for that matter. Teach your child to take responsibility. Look at the options, decide together how to do it better the next time. This mind can create, produce, integrate, combine, and find new answers to old problems!
The solution mind formulates valuable new ideas and perspectives and innovates new things. Give your child opportunity to ‘think outside the box’. Create an environment at home where they are allowed to find new ways of doing things. This mind is used to invent, think of new things, and start new ways of doing things.
The respectful mind has knowledge of and respect for diverse cultures. We live in a world that is becoming smaller and smaller – as well as in a country with many diverse cultures and ideas.
Teach your child how to respect, value and esteem other people who are different from us. Being different gives us opportunities to find new ways of doing things! If we can look at each other without thinking the one is better than the other, we can begin to build a better future together.
The ethical mind acts as a 'good citizen' in difficult situations. Teach your child to be open-minded. It is important that we consider what would be beneficial for all. How can we structure our lives in order to take our family, community, town and even country forward? This means we take up our responsibility to live lives that will be beneficial to those around us and stop thinking of myself first.
So ask yourself… How do I create opportunities for my child to grow in these areas through my choices? Remember the most fertile soil for growth is not always high in the mountains, but below in the valleys. If your child can go through a challenging time with you beside him/her to encourage and assist him/her in developing a positive mind-set, a willing attitude, and a breakthrough mentality, you have won a war, and set your child on the pathway of success. As parents we are creating the future through the way we raise our children!