1. BE PRESENT IN THEIR LIFE Don’t delegate your presence to your househelp or relatives
2. SHIELD THEM FROM TRAUMA AT HOME Nothing holds back progress in development like trauma. Trauma makes children hate being at home when they watch mom and dad fight or the parent treating them badly. Some adults are using so much effort and time undoing the damage of their childhood trauma instead of building their future. Don’t let that be your child
3. BE EASY TO TALK TO Be approachable. Don’t make your children scared of you that they end up not sharing their questions and struggles. This is what makes future adults find it difficult to be themselves
4. MODEL BY EXAMPLE Don’t expect your children to behave well, talk well if you do not. They are watching
5. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE VALUES YOU WANT TO INCULCATE IN THEM Identify at least four values you want to teach your children. Is it hardwork, honesty, respect… if you are not specific, you can’t be effective, you can’t measure it
6. SPEAK LIFE INTO THEM Pray for them, speak blessings over them; especially in their presence. Call out their greatness. “You will do great things my child”
7. SHARE YOUR WINS AND FAILURES Tell them your stories, lessons you have learnt. Your biography as the parent is powerful. Be real and vulnerable
8. GIVE THEM ROOM TO MAKE MISTAKES Don’t shield your children too much, allow them to try their own path, to take risks, to experiment and talk with them about lessons learnt
9. TEACH THEM HOW TO MAKE DECISIONS Don’t spoon feed them yes or no answers. Teach them how to arrive at a yes or a no. You will not always be in their life to choose for them
10. IDENTIFY THEIR PURPOSE AND TALENT YOUNG Keep your children from wasting time. Find out what they are great at and passionate in and support it early. This will give them a head start and help them in forming an identity
11. TEACH THEM HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS Your children should learn how to interact, how to discern people, how to make friends and keep friends. A bright future will require networking, not isolation
12. PROVIDE FOR THEM A SUPPORT SYSTEM Link your children to mentors, uncles, aunts, public figures who can add value to them. Let your child grow up in a community of people pro-growth
13. TEACH THEM TO BE SEXUALLY RESPONSIBLE Sexual abuse or misuse ruins destinies. Teach your children how to control their sexual urges
14. TEACH THEM HOW TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY You expect your children to be wealthy, then start early in teaching them financial management. Expose your children to big money and big ideas at a young age so that they won’t find prosperity foreign or a preserve for others
15. BE THEIR BIGGEST CHEERLEADER Don’t criticize your children to the point they feel like a failure. Instead, celebrate their wins and progress, no matter how small
16. DISCOURAGE SIBLING RIVALRY Don’t show favouritism. Don’t make any child perceive you have favourites. Encourage them to accept each other’s uniqueness and be united
17. GIVE THEM FOND MEMORIES Good childhood memories makes adults more confident about the future
18. GIVE THEM THE BEST EDUCATION As much as you can, invest in a good education for them. It compliments your parenting
19. TEACH THEM HOW TO BE INQUISITIVE Let your children love knowledge and be thirsty to understand the world outside the classroom. Teach them that studying is not just to pass exams and that there are valuable lessons to learn outside of formal education
20. TEACH THEM HOW TO HANDLE REJECTION Rejection is part of life. Teach your children how to accept closed doors, how to moderate their expectations, how to pick oneself up
21. TEACH THEM DISCIPLINE AND PATIENCE Teach your children that not everything comes easy. Through tasks and games, teach them to stay the course no matter how by difficult. Teach them to finish what they start.
ABOVE ALL Introduce them to God early, let them know that Allah is our main source and we can do nothing without him in our lives.
