Raising Entrepreneurial Kids

Ideas, reflections, and real-life lessons for helping children build confidence, creativity, initiative, resilience, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Youth Entrepreneurship: Why Our Kids Wanted to Attend Green SuperCamp

Enterprise For KidsTeam Family Adventure & Real-World Learning, Family Enterprise Stories, Mindset, Confidence & Leadership, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments
Jai and Kaitlin with students at Green SuperCamp Bali learning leadership and youth entrepreneurship skills

Youth entrepreneurship often begins with confidence, leadership and real-world learning experiences. We were delighted that our three eldest children were able to attend Green SuperCamp Bali, where they had life-changing experiences that gave them new understandings and beliefs about themselves.

These experiences will stay with them forever. For Kaitlin, Jai and Flynn, Green SuperCamp was a chance to step outside their comfort zones, meet new people and begin thinking differently about their future.

youth entrepreneurship at Green SuperCamp Bali with Kaitlin in a crowd
Kaitlin attending Green SuperCamp Bali.

Youth Entrepreneurship and Green SuperCamp Bali

Each of our kids applied for a Green SuperCamp scholarship. The scholarships would help us cover the cost of the camp. Kaitlin, Jai and Flynn each wrote why they wanted to attend.

We were very inspired by the passionate words they wrote in their applications. Their writing showed us how much they wanted to grow, learn and take hold of new opportunities.

Below we have some words from Kaitlin. We are very proud of her passion and talent in getting her message across to the organisers of the SuperCamp.

You may also enjoy reading Amber’s Green SuperCamp reflection, where she shares what she learnt from her own camp experience.

Kaitlin’s Green SuperCamp Scholarship Application

Here’s what Kaitlin wrote:

“I am the eldest of seven children in my family. We have been brought up to strive for excellence and to aim as high as we can. My parents have always been determined to give us kids the best opportunities possible to get the best out of life.

This year I have started year 11, and have found it quite difficult. I have been held up by limitations of my time and motivation. I would love to attend the “Green Super Camp” in order to break these barriers. I want a life where I can be a role model and inspiration for my siblings and others. I want to be able to contribute to the world and show so many people a way to be free, but I’m still trying to work out how to get there.

youth entrepreneurship and confidence building at Green SuperCamp Bali
Kaitlin taking part in confidence-building activities at Green SuperCamp Bali.

I’m so keen to develop a mindset for success. I want to meet new people from around the world, and absorb their confidence and energy. My goal is to become a school prefect or Head Girl and to be accepted into University.

To do this I need to understand and learn about myself. I want to know what it takes to be a leader and to be confident in myself to be one.

If I receive this Scholarship, I would be determined, open and ready, to absorb all the information possible for me to be the best person I can and to motivate others to be the same. This is an experience of a lifetime, and I’m ready for it now.”

Why Youth Entrepreneurship Starts with Confidence

Kaitlin’s words show that youth entrepreneurship is not only about starting a business. It is also about confidence, leadership, courage and the willingness to grow.

Before children can step into real-world opportunities, they often need to believe they are capable. Experiences like Green SuperCamp can help young people see themselves differently.

For Kaitlin, the camp offered a chance to break through barriers, meet inspiring people and learn tools that could help her become a stronger leader.

Real-World Learning for Young Entrepreneurs

Green SuperCamp gave our kids the opportunity to learn outside the normal classroom. They were challenged physically, emotionally and socially.

These kinds of experiences matter because young entrepreneurs need more than ideas. They need confidence, communication skills, resilience and the ability to take action.

For more information about the broader Green School Bali philosophy, you can read our earlier post on Green School Bali Leading the Way.

You can also visit Green School Bali to learn more about their approach to education and sustainability.

Youth Entrepreneurship Through Leadership and Action

When children attend camps, join projects, speak up, set goals and work with others, they are building many of the same skills needed for youth entrepreneurship.

They learn to take responsibility. They practise courage. Most importantly, they begin to see that their actions can make a difference.

Kaitlin wanted to be a role model for her siblings and others. That desire to contribute, lead and grow is a powerful foundation for future enterprise.

Key takeaway: Youth entrepreneurship begins long before a child starts a business. Confidence, leadership, goal setting and real-world learning all help children believe they can create opportunities and contribute to the world around them.

Green SuperCamp gave our children a glimpse of the kind of learning philosophy we later reflected on in our article about Green School Bali and future-focused education.

Where to Next?

If you enjoyed this post about youth entrepreneurship and Green SuperCamp Bali, you may also like:

You will have to wait for the next blog to discover what each of them learnt from their camp experience! Until then…

 

Money Lessons for Kids: Who Is Teaching Them About Money?

Enterprise For KidsTeam Money Lessons for Kids, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments
Kids watching a TV advert showing how advertising shapes money lessons for kids

Money lessons are happening all around our children, whether we notice them or not. If you don’t teach your kids about money, then there are plenty of people out there who will. And not all of them will teach your children what they really need to know.

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Media, celebrities, advertising, peers, schools, banks and family choices all help shape what children believe about earning, spending, borrowing and wanting more. That is why money lessons for kids need to begin at home, in the everyday moments where children ask for things, make choices and learn how money really works.

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Teen magazine showing how media can shape money lessons for kids
Kids are constantly receiving money lessons from media, celebrities, advertising and peers.

Money Lessons for Kids: Who Is Teaching Them About Money?

Our kids are educated financially from many sources, whether we like it or not. Everywhere they go and everything they look at is conditioning them around money.

For example, teenage kids are very influenced by their peers, TV, advertising and social media. They are pressured to want to have all the latest and greatest of everything. AND… they have to have it now!

If you have a teenager in your house, or even a preteen, you will understand this very well. They will tell you that they are the “only” ones in the “whole world” who don’t have one. And if you try to compromise with a cheaper version from Target… well, forget it! Brand name or nothing!

The Money Lessons Children Learn From Wanting More

Many parents fall into the trap of giving in to their kids’ persistent demands. We have… more times than we should have! And the older a child gets, the better they are at arguing their point.

Sometimes parents lend their child the money with the view of having them pay it back when they can afford it. Other times, parents simply pay for the item fully and do not expect their child to pay anything back.

But what is this teaching children?

That is the question we had to ask ourselves when Flynn wanted an iPod for school camp.

Flynn’s iPod Money Lesson

Our son Flynn was preparing to go on a camp with his school. He claimed that ALL the kids would have iPods, and that he wanted to buy one to take on camp.

Flynn Howitt learning money lessons for kids through his iPod goal
Flynn’s iPod goal became a real-life money lesson about earning, choices and avoiding debt.

He counted up his money and found that he was short about $100. He was very persistent in his request, so we decided to sit down and have a conversation with him around the value of money.

Our dilemma was this: if we were to say an outright, “No, we can’t afford it,” then we would be conditioning him with a mindset around lack of money.

On the other hand, if we said, “Yes,” and simply paid for it, then we would be conditioning him with the mindset to borrow, then spend… and he would probably not appreciate it too much.

So…………… we came up with another solution.

Turning a Want Into a Money Lesson

We said, “Yes.” He could buy an iPod. However, we were not able to pay for it.

Instead, we brainstormed ideas with Flynn on how he could raise the $100 himself. Time was of the essence, as he was going on camp in three days.

Together, we came up with several ideas. He could increase the marketing of the honey he was selling through his Honey Enterprise. He could sell some of his unwanted things, such as his surfboard. He could also do a deal with his sister and buy the items she had lined up to sell as part of her New From Old enterprise, then resell them with a mark-up.

The discussion gave him motivation, and we took the punt that if he was really keen for the iPod, then he would make it happen.

The point of all this is that we didn’t automatically say, “No, we can’t afford it,” and we didn’t say, “Yes, and we will pay for it.”

Rather, we put the onus on Flynn to work out a way to achieve his goal without getting himself into debt. We used this opportunity to teach Flynn about money.

Who Is Teaching Your Kids About Money?

In our society, kids are conditioned to earn, spend and borrow from a very early age. This conditioning can carry through to adulthood and tie people to a job, especially when they need that job to pay for the interest payments on their “things”.

That is why money lessons for kids matter so much. If we do not consciously teach children how to think about money, they may simply absorb the messages around them.

Sporting heroes and advertising shaping money lessons for kids
Sporting heroes are often used to influence what children want to buy.

It is hard for our kids to avoid this type of conditioning. Their sporting idols appear on TV advertisements telling them what a great investment they are making if they buy x, y or z… and finish with a trusting wink!

In the same way, celebrities promote all sorts of things, from insurance and jewellery to holidays. Retailers offer low-cost, easy monthly payments for expensive items that people may not really be able to afford.

There goes the “earn, spend and borrow” cycle again.

Advertising Teaches Money Lessons Too

Advertising does not just sell products. It also teaches children what to value, what to want and how quickly they should expect to have things.

For this reason, parents need to be part of the conversation.

When a child says, “Everyone has one,” or “I need it now,” there is an opportunity to slow the conversation down and ask some better questions:

  • Do you really want this, or do you feel pressured to want it?
  • How much does it cost?
  • How could you earn the money?
  • What would you need to give up to buy it?
  • Could you buy it second-hand?
  • Could you create money rather than borrow money?

These simple questions can turn everyday wants into powerful money lessons.

Schools, Debt and Financial Choices

The education system may teach many important things, but practical money education can still be limited. Many young people move towards adulthood without having deeply discussed debt, credit, consumer pressure, business, enterprise, financial freedom or how to make money work for them.

Student debt showing why money lessons for kids matter before adulthood
Young people can face financial pressure before they have learnt how money really works.

As a result, many young people begin adult life already carrying financial pressure. This might come through study costs, consumer debt, car loans, lifestyle spending or the general cost of getting started.

That is why a financial education for your kids before they leave home matters.

The Australian Government’s MoneySmart guide to teaching kids about money is a helpful reminder that parents can start early and make money part of everyday conversation.

Can These Money Lessons Change?

Enterprise for Kids image about changing money lessons for kids
Money lessons can help children see new possibilities.

We can look at life as being a game full of experiences. We are here on earth to play the game.

Yet from an early age, the odds can feel stacked against us achieving personal and financial freedom when we are conditioned to earn, spend and borrow for unproductive things.

Can this change?

Absolutely.

And who is the best person to teach this change to your children?

Well, if you have already achieved financial and personal freedom, then the best teacher is YOU!

And if you haven’t, then find someone who has achieved the type of financial or personal success you would like for your kids. You may even learn something in the process. 🙂

Money Lessons for Kids Begin at Home

The most powerful money lessons for kids often begin in ordinary family moments.

A child wants something.

A parent has a choice.

We can shut the conversation down, pay for everything, lend the money, or turn the moment into a learning opportunity.

Flynn’s iPod story reminded us that teaching kids about money does not always require a formal lesson. Sometimes it simply requires a different conversation.

Instead of saying, “We can’t afford it,” or “Yes, we’ll buy it,” we can ask, “How could you create the money?”

That question changes everything.

Key Takeaway: Money Lessons Are Happening Every Day

Key takeaway: money lessons are happening around children every day. Media, peers, celebrities, advertising and family choices all shape how kids think about money. Parents can use everyday wants, like Flynn’s iPod goal, to teach children how to earn, choose, create value and avoid unnecessary debt.

Where to Next?

Who is teaching your children their money lessons — and what are they learning?

Business Ideas for Kids: Finding Enterprise Ideas

Enterprise For KidsTeam Amber's Stories, Kids Business Ideas, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids , , , , , , , , 4 Comments
kids entrepreneur ideas inspired by real family enterprise experiences

Business ideas for kids often begin with everyday problems, useful skills and a little creative thinking.

Coming up with an enterprise idea that makes money, solves a real problem and keeps a child motivated is a tall order for an adult, let alone a kid.

Children do not need a perfect idea to get started. In fact, many of the best ideas come from noticing what people need, thinking creatively and using the skills children already have.

business ideas for kids through real family enterprise experiences
Looking for enterprise ideas as a family.

Business Ideas for Kids: Finding Enterprise Ideas

Business ideas for kids are often found by looking closely at everyday life. Coming up with an enterprise idea that makes money, solves a real problem and keeps a child motivated can be a tall order for an adult, let alone a kid.

The trick is to spend time brainstorming ideas together and helping children notice the small problems around them.

What I explained to my entrepreneurial kids was that they needed to think about the problems in our small community town, then look for possible solutions.

By solving people’s problems, children begin to create real opportunities for enterprise.

Business Ideas for Kids Start with Solving Problems

In the original video for this post, I gave the kids a simple example. Winter was drawing near and people were chopping wood ready to fuel their fires.

Problem: No one likes scrambling around outside on a cold and rainy day gathering kindling to get their fire started.

Solution: Collect bundles of gum tree sticks, tie them up and sell them to people who need kindling ready to go.

Step one was finding the problem. Step two was finding the solution. Putting the idea into action would be step three.

What a great and simple enterprise idea.

After hearing this example, the kids had no trouble finding enterprise ideas of their own.

Using Skills to Create Kids Entrepreneur Ideas

Our mentor, Paul Counsel, often shares a great educational basis behind what it means to be entrepreneurial.

He encourages us to consider how we are an asset to others. What skills and knowledge do we have that could be of service to others? What are we good at?

For example, Kaitlin and Amber are very good with toddlers and babies. Every day they were helping with their baby sister Akaisha. They fed her, changed her nappy, bathed her and took her for walks.

Both girls were very skilled and had a natural ease with babies. Knowing when Akaisha was tired and how to soothe her when she was upset became second nature. These abilities could easily lead to real enterprise opportunities.

Everyday skills can become enterprise ideas:

kids helping younger siblings read as part of business ideas for kids
Reading with siblings
kids caring for younger siblings and developing enterprise skills
Looking after Akaisha

Turning Everyday Skills into Enterprise Ideas

The obvious enterprise would be babysitting, but other ideas include:

  • Homework Support — busy parents may need someone to listen to younger children read, practise spelling words or help with writing.
  • Toddler Playmate — after school, some parents may appreciate an older child entertaining and playing with their toddler or baby.
  • Walking Younger Children Home from School — busy parents may appreciate a responsible older child helping with the school run.
  • Sports, Dance, Music or Art Coaching — Amber and Kaitlin could teach other kids how to throw, catch, draw, dance or play music.
child who enjoys helping younger kids as a business idea for kids
Kaitlin loves kids.

These are not complicated ideas, but they are valuable and practical. Children can easily miss this point. Often, they do not realise that skills they use every day may be helpful to someone else.

Finding Business Ideas for Kids Through Imagination

All it requires, when finding enterprise ideas for kids, is a little imagination.

Take the time to identify problems and look at what assets you have that could help people. Helping people is the key to enterprise.

Many ideas are not new. However, children often need guidance to look at their existing skills and realise how valuable they already are.

young musician developing skills that could become business ideas for kids
Budding young musician

A tip for everyone: you can increase your value by up-skilling and becoming an expert in an area.

As your skill increases, your value increases too. Over time, people are more likely to seek your help and pay for your time and knowledge.

How Kids Can Start a Business by Increasing Their Value

For example, being a whiz at sorting computer glitches would make you valuable to people who have computer problems. Being an expert pianist could create opportunities to teach others how to play piano.

Many of these ideas are simple. The real lesson is helping children notice what they are already good at, then think about how those skills could help others.

For older children who are ready to take an idea further, Business.gov.au has helpful information for young people starting a business.

Business Ideas for Kids Are Everywhere

Finding enterprise ideas can be fun, and it isn’t that hard if you do a little thinking and brainstorming first.

Amber will reveal her enterprise idea in the next blog as she begins her quest to reach her goals, so stay tuned.

Key takeaway: Business ideas for kids often begin with simple problem-solving. When children learn to notice problems, use their skills and think about how they can help others, they begin to see enterprise opportunities everywhere.

Where to Next?

If you enjoyed this post about finding business ideas for kids, you may also like:

We would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.

Vision Board Goals for Kids: Enterprise, Money and Action

Enterprise For KidsTeam Mindset, Confidence & Leadership, Raising Entrepreneurial Kids , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment
Kids writing down goals for a vision board about enterprise money and action

A vision board can help children turn a goal into something they can see, feel and act on. Visualising a goal, evoking the emotional response within, and then taking the necessary action are all important ingredients in achieving something meaningful.

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Whether the action involves acquiring knowledge, building skills, doing something physical or creating a small enterprise, children need a goal they can believe in before they are likely to follow through.

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Family writing goals in a notebook before creating a vision board
A vision board begins with clear goals, written down and connected to action.

Vision Board Goals for Kids: Enterprise, Money and Action

In fact, many leading sports men and women use visualisation as part of their preparation.

I remember reading about one of Australia’s very best runners, Cathy Freeman, who won gold in the 1994 Canadian Commonwealth Games in both the 200m and 400m races.

Cathy began her preparation for the 200m race two years earlier.

Every day she trained and visualised the race in her mind. Her visualisation included every detail of the race, from what she was wearing, to the lane she was in, and how she would run the race from start to finish.

She even pictured the time she would get and how much it would take to beat the second-place getter.

She was so mentally prepared that she had no doubts at all that she had the gold in the bag.

Cathy Freeman showing the power of visualising a goal
Cathy Freeman showed the power of visualising a goal and preparing with belief.
Cathy Freeman winning gold as an example of goal setting and visualisation
Cathy Freeman winning gold.

She had already won in her mind.

As it turned out, she ran the race beautifully. She is a living legend.

Why a Vision Board Can Help Kids Believe in a Goal

Imagine if our kids were able to muster up that sort of determination and self-belief.

It would make anything possible for them.

So our kids needed to see a real purpose in the kids enterprise project they were embarking on. Without a real purpose they could believe in, they would not have the steam to see it through.

Before we even considered kids enterprise ideas, I asked them to think of something they would like to buy with the profits they were going to make from their enterprise businesses.

It had to be something they really wanted.

It also had to be something they realistically believed they would be able to achieve.

From Dream to Dollar Amount

Coming up with ways to spend the money was easy, even though at this stage they still had no idea what enterprise project they would be doing.

But that didn’t matter.

The important part was that the kids established a realistic goal they could believe in with certainty.

If the kids wanted their goal badly enough, and focused on what they needed to do to get that money, then the enterprise had a much better chance of becoming fruitful.

Once the kids had a visual picture of what they wanted, the next stage was to convert it into a dollar amount.

I made a stipulation that their first enterprise idea may not completely reach the whole monetary target they had set for themselves, but it had to at least be able to pay my $100 back, plus $1.

This we called ROI, or Return On Investment.

Future enterprise ideas could contribute to the children realising the rest of their financial goal.

Finally, they needed to set an end date for the completion of their enterprise.

Vision Boards for Kids and Enterprise Goals

The kids jumped onto the computer to find images of the things they wanted to buy when they had made the money.

These images were printed, and each of the kids constructed a vision board.

I laminated the vision boards to make them special and long-lasting.

The vision boards were then stuck on their bedroom walls, where our little enterprising team could look, dream, think and evoke the visual pictures into their subconscious.

Amber's vision board showing goal setting and enterprise goals for kids
Amber’s vision board helped her picture what she wanted to achieve.
Flynn's vision board showing money goals and enterprise ideas for kids
Flynn’s vision board helped him connect his enterprise idea with a goal he cared about.
Chayse and Kit using a vision board for enterprise goals
Chayse and Kit used their vision boards to focus on what they wanted to achieve.

Why This Goal-Setting Activity Worked

This simple vision board activity helped our children connect their enterprise ideas to something personal.

It was no longer just about “starting a business”.

It was about creating money for a goal they could see.

That made the project more meaningful.

The process gave the kids:

  • a clear picture of what they wanted,
  • a reason to stay motivated,
  • a dollar amount to work towards,
  • an end date,
  • and a practical reason to create an enterprise idea.

For children, this is powerful.

They can begin to understand that goals are not achieved by wishing alone. They are achieved by combining belief, focus, planning and action.

Vision Boards Need Action

A vision board is not magic on its own.

It works best when it is connected to action.

That is why we linked the children’s vision boards to their enterprise projects.

They could look at the pictures on their walls, but they also had to ask:

  • How much money do I need?
  • What can I do to earn it?
  • What skills do I need to learn?
  • Who can help me?
  • What is my deadline?
  • How will I know if my enterprise idea worked?

This moved the activity from dreaming into doing.

For a broader reflection on vision boards, visualisation and action, you can also read our article on Vision Board Ideas for Students.

Enterprise Goals for Kids

In the next blog, we’ll take you through the process of how the kids came up with each of their kids’ enterprise ideas.

See you then!

Key Takeaway: A Vision Board Helps Kids Focus

Key takeaway: A vision board can help children picture a goal, believe it is possible and connect that goal to action. When children turn a dream into a dollar amount, an end date and an enterprise idea, goal setting becomes real-world learning.

Where to Next?

What goal would your child be excited enough to picture, plan and work towards?