"One generation plants the trees, another gets the shade."
Chinese Proverb
The time has come for us to realize that the key to our future begins with our children. In these tough economic times, while banks are cutting back credit, businesses are slashing production, and households are reducing their spending, the one area we can least afford to cut back our spending is on our children.
We are living in an increasingly interconnected world and the implications are clear: invest in a child today so they will be prepared to build a better tomorrow. The need to instill values of integrity, teamwork, and leadership in our children has never been more prevalent. With issues such as the economy, global warming, and population growth facing our planet, it is important that we raise and educate our children properly in order to ensure the welfare of our society's future. In short, this philosophy can be summed up by an old Chinese proverb : "one generation plants the trees, another gets the shade."
When we hear the term "invest", we typically associate it with some expenditure of time, energy, money, or all of the above, for the prospect of some future financial return. The same mindset should apply to "investing" in children. In other words, our willingness to spend our time, energy, and money (the investment) on our children today will turn them into our leaders of tomorrow (the return).
While there are many similarities in the philosophies between making financial investments and investing in our children, there is also one major distinction that is worth mentioning. Although there are many risky companies and investments that have the potential to be bad investments, there is no such thing as a child that is not worth investing in. I believe that every child has the potential to make a difference in the world and make something of their lives if given the right opportunities.
The key then, rests in our ability as parents, teachers, and mentors to spend the adequate time and money on our children in order to give them these opportunities that they deserve. This will not only require time and money, but also entails having the patience, discipline, and motivation to work with children. In these volatile economic times, while panic has permeated the marketplace and investors are hesitating, we can ill afford to hesitate when it comes to investing in our children. Therefore, the philosophy is simple and is worth mentioning again: "Invest in our children today, to build for a better tomorrow."
Quackenworth specializes in mobile games for kids and educational websites. Our mission is to develop fun products that teachers and parents can use to educate and enrich the lives of children and young adults. Click here to learn more about Quackenworth's apps for kids.