The long vacation, also called summer holiday, is finally here and the children are home. They will be home at least until September. This is the season when parents would naturally send their children back to school in the form of what has come to be known as summer classes (or lesson). While this is better than just allowing the children play away their time for about two months of the holiday, it may also be nice if parents begin to consider other possibilities.
One very important area parents may consider is vocational skills. In this time and age, especially with the way things are going around the world and particularly in our country Nigeria, emphasis is gradually shifting to what the hands can do in addition to paper qualifications. Certificates are good, but they are better if there are usable skills added to them. So, how are you engaging the young ones this long vacation?
According to an an article on invoice.ng, vocational skills typically refer to skills and occupations that you gain toward becoming knowledgeable in a specific trade or profession. Examples of vocational skills are painting, drawing, weaving, beading, tailoring/fashion design, culinary arts, graphic design, hairdressing, auto repair, carpentry, electrical works, plumbing, welding, etc.
Looking at the above list, it is clear that some of them may be harder to approach than others depending on the age of the child. Some of them may also come naturally with the child. Of course, every child has a talent, a gift from God that can be harnessed and developed into something big. Some children are good at making beautiful paintings; some are good at trying their hands on repair of some faulty gadgets in the house; some are inquisitive about things around cooking and confectionery matters, some are good at music, dancing, and so on. A time like this is a good time to discover some of these things and “catch them young”. If they are younger, parents can discover this through keen observation. If they are up to a certain age, it can be a combination of observation and engagement with such a child.
What happens often is that parents, in their bid to rush their children through school, neglect this other aspect of the child’s development. By so doing, they deprive the children of the lessons of life that are embedded in that effort to develop their talents. And who knows, that talent that is neglected may be what will give the child his or her big break tomorrow.
The story of Ekenedilichukwu is instructive. Kene, as he is fondly called by his family and friends, is a student of a popular Catholic school in Satellite Town in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. His story started in a music class in the school when the school’s music instructor noticed that the boy’s good voice and his keen interest in music. The music instructor approached Kene’s parents and told them about his observation and requested to be the boy’s coach. Kene’s parents gave their consent. Thereafter, every break that Kene had from school was dedicated to music. Today, the boy has become a sensation as he gets invitation to perform at many functions, but church programmes and secular ones. And he gets paid for each performance. More importantly, this has not stopped Kene from paying attention to his academic work. Kudos to Kene’s music instructor and his parents as well for the good job.
Have you discovered your child’s talent? If you have, what are you doing to help the child to develop it? If you have not, it is not too late. All you need to do is pay more attention and observe. You will notice it before long. And when you do, please don’t wave it aside. Engage. It is said that enrolling a child in non-academic (extra-curricula) activities gives the child a break from the rigours of academic work and helps them to unwind, refreshing the brain.
As they engage in vocational skills, children can also learn entrepreneurial skills. When you help children from a young age with the right entrepreneurial skills and education, they tend to develop the confidence and skill needed to pursue entrepreneurship in the future.
Teaching children how to be entrepreneurs at an early age is a great way to encourage them to be self-sufficient, even if it’s starting out with something as small as a lemonade stand or a summer dog-walking business, according to an article on onlinemba.wsu.edu.
“Being an entrepreneur can also teach kids about money, success, failure, communication, and even the importance of perseverance. Entrepreneurial skills can seem somewhat specific at first, but upon closer inspection, you will see that these skills are very beneficial for all aspects of your children’s lives, not just in the business world,” says the article, “Teaching Children Entrepreneurial Skills”.
The article provides a list of these entrepreneurial skills, including financial literacy, self-motivation, goal-setting, teamwork, failure, and communication.
Bottom line: Think of other ways of engaging your children this summer holiday. Life is not just about academic work. Every child has some talents he or she is born with. Discover these talents and help them to develop it. There is no better time than this summer holiday.
May our children grow to become the best in their chosen areas of endeavour.
Do have a lovely weekend, dear reader.
