Many parents dream of running their own business or having their children start a business. In fact, entrepreneurship often runs in families, but whether it does or not, there are some things you can do to cultivate the skills your tweens will need to be successful in business.
Here’s the lowdown on some parenting books for raising smart kids and tweens and some activities you can do to introduce them to the concepts and skills needed to be a successful business owner.
Kids’ Books about Entrepreneurship for Tweens
Some of the best tweens’ and kids’ books about entrepreneurship include the Tuttle Twins series. The Tuttle Twins books will show you how to raise independent thinkers — all while taking you and your children on an adventure that won’t be forgotten anytime soon!
Every entrepreneur has a story about how they got started, and for many of them, their journey began at some point during childhood. The Tuttle Twins series covers all ages, from toddlers through teenagers. Each page is educational, but your children might not even be aware they’re learning!
One of the best Tuttle Twins books for tweens on entrepreneurship is The Tuttle Twins’ Guide to Inspiring Entrepreneurs. This title is perfect not only for tweens but also for teens, taking a look throughout history at some of the best entrepreneurs. Your children will learn about risk taking, innovation, and lessons learned from the failures of past entrepreneurs.
Activities that Demonstrate How to Raise Independent Thinkers
If you want to encourage entrepreneurship-related skills in your tween, you’ll find plenty of activities to layer onto those kids’ books about entrepreneurship. Shop local and explain what it takes to run the different types of businesses you visit with your tween.
Attend business expos and trade shows and help them set up a business of their own. Explain the finer points of service businesses versus retailers and creative businesses, and encourage them to design their own games or projects based on whatever they’re interested in.
Encourage the Skills Needed for Entrepreneurship
In addition to the practical, you’ll also want to encourage certain skills to help your tweens determine if they even want to be an entrepreneur and what kind of business they might want to run one day. Some key skills to drive home are problem solving, critical thinking, goal setting, perseverance, self-confidence, resilience, financial literacy, responsibility, creativity, and innovation.
Many of these skills can be taught through role playing. To keep your tweens engaged, try starting with a historical entrepreneur they feel particularly attached to for whatever reason. Let your child be that historical figure and talk about the decisions they made and the consequences of those decisions.
Then go a step further and discuss alternate decisions that the person could’ve made and what probably would’ve happened if they had made those decisions instead.
Finally, be a role model for your kids. If you run your own business, teach them the ins and outs and explain why you make the decisions you do — while encouraging them to explore other business ideas if they so choose.
Reinforce What They’re Learning
All of these activities can be an exciting journey for any tween, especially when you focus on whatever they’re interested in! At this stage, we come full circle to reinforcing what your kids are learning, and the best way to do this is through books that teach critical thinking and the other skills outlined above.
The Tuttle Twins series contains some of the best books for teaching these skills to tweens. Every lesson is wrapped in an exciting page-turner that will keep them engaged all the way to the end — and have them asking for more Tuttle Twins books!
Pardeep is the founder and editor of Small Investment Ideas. He believes that everyone can change their life with the help of small investments and achieve financial freedom.
