by Isa Cumba
There are no perfect parents! Even those who managed to turn their children into functional and successful adults, certainly left a few scars their children need to heal from, because well...these parents are humans, thus they’re flawed. And that’s ok. Parenting really is the toughest job there is and that’s not really up for debate (Sorry!) So, I decided to share with my fellow mothers a few questions that I’ve been asking myself, as a mother and a daughter, hoping they will hopefully help us raise our future Elons.
As parents, we must ask ourselves: am I providing my kids with the tools they’ll need to have an entrepreneurial mindset in the future? Am I teaching them the most important thing they’ll need to become successful?: SKILLS!
Survival
Are we teaching our kids to be self-sufficient and survive on their own? Are we teaching them to clean, cook, be organized and to take care of themselves? Or are we letting them sit around raising their legs when we need to pass with the broom? Are we teaching them to feed the only bodies they have with garbage or to fuel their body with nutritious foods?
Emotional Intelligence
Are we demonstrating to our children how to calmly breathe when they’re having a tantrum? Are we hugging them and showing them that we are strong enough to go through hell with them, so they can be emotionally strong too? Or are we repressing their feelings and telling them to “swallow those tears right now, Mister/Miss!”? Or worse, ignoring them when they need us the most?
Discipline
Have we been consistent with the time they should eat and sleep? Or at your house the camel has already entered the tent (as a friend once said) and you feel like there’s nothing you can do about it?
Communication
Do we talk to them like little babies or like a real person who needs an example on how to speak properly? Are we encouraging them to make speeches on family birthdays?
Creative Thinking
Are we letting them play freely outdoors, painting, dancing, singing etc., or are we creating screen zombies?
Time Management
Are they learning that when food is in the microwave for 2 minutes, they can set the table during that time? Or are they watching the food roll around for 2 whole minutes, with their hand on their waist? Just think of how easier our adult lives could be if we had learned all those skills properly long ago. Ah, how far we would be! Anyway…
These tips are for everyone, of course, but since being an entrepreneur certainly highlights these skills profoundly, I invite mothers to be visionaries! Let’s not robe our children of learning these skills very early, so they can have time to master them and develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Remember, fellow moms, the best thing we can do for our kids is to try our best…Let’s just try our best. Our children cannot ask us for more than that!
Alcinda Cumba Durão, also known as Isa Cumba, is the founder and executive director of two companies in Mozambique. IZHA Interior Design, a business that helps clients make their dream spaces a reality by designing and decorating homes, offices and hotels; and JD&D Group, a business that helps foreign and national clients with their businesses by offering a combination of corporate services and brand representation. Both of her companies represent her life motto: “Explore your full potential and be whoever you want to be”. Isa has also been a Lawyer by profession for 7 years, with over 10 years of experience working in the corporate sector and administrative services.