How to monetize your child's dreams and passion

Monetize your child’s dreams and passio

When you were a child do you remember pretending you were a fireman, police officer, nurse or doctor? Or how about the old Nike commercials where everyone dreamed of wanting to be “Like Mike”? As in Michael Jordan, one of the greatest professional basketball players to ever play the game.
It is perfectly natural for children to dream about being something or having something when they get older. Parents and adults, however, have discouraged kids to dream over the years with such comments as you’ll never be a doctor you aren’t smart enough or that requires a college degree and you know no one from our family has ever gone to college. You aren’t either so stop saying things like that.
It has become a way of life in our society to quickly dash any dreams or hopes our children have had rather than encouraging or nurturing them. Hmm. Is Disney the only place where Dreams Do Come True?
What would happen if we encourage our youth to pursue their dreams, passion and desires? Rather than telling a child you aren’t smart enough to do something, encourage them to develop good study habits so they enjoy learning and can be a doctor, lawyer business owner or something else worthwhile.
Talk to your child about their dreams. Ask them why they want to be a police officer, nurse, lawyer or skilled trade person? Mechanics and other skilled repair people make good money and there always seems to be a need for them.
In addition to encouraging your child to talk about their dreams, make up a vision or dream board for them. Take a piece of colorful poster board and have them clip pictures from magazines or find pictures on the internet that go along with their dreams and paste/tape them to the poster board. Pictures of a doctor meeting with a patients would be good. Or if they have several things they want to be put them all on the boards and label them Mary’s or Barry’s possible career choices.
Or if they dream of having a big house or sports car, put those photos up!
You can do this at least once a week or more if time allows. It will make a difference!!

How to Make Your Child’s Dream Boardr
Help your children to dream by creating them a “dream board”.
This is where they can post photos or images of some of the things they dream about, such as being a doctor or nurse or having a sports car or big house.
• A nice colorful piece of poster board will work as the back drop to your dream board. Have your child pick out the color they want and don’t fret if it’s pink or a loud orange. This is the back drop. It will get covered by photos.

• Next have you and your child look through magazines or on the internet for photos connected to their dream. Cut these images out and paste or tape them on the dream board. If it’s on the internet, print it out if it’s by itself or copy and paste it to a blank page and then print it and post it.

• Look for multiple photos related to the dream. For example, if your child dreams of being a doctor, ask them what kind and then find photos that relate to that doctor. For example, an eye doctor, you can have photos of the doctor, photos of them with patients, photos of glasses, eye charts, lenses, etc.

• Place the dream board on a wall or somewhere you can see it after you have finished putting pictures on it. This will help reinforce to the child that it is OK to dream and encourage them to keep dreaming.

• This process can be repeated with other dreams they have or if they dream about several career choices.