When my son was very young, we went to a yard sale and saw a broken down Xbox gaming system. He wanted it, and he wanted it desperately. Despite only costing a few coins for the gaming system, I insisted he didn't need it and that our house was already too cluttered with things we didn't use.

My son immediately went into a bargaining mode and tried to convince me he could sell the Xbox on eBay. I was skeptical and, thinking I could dissuade him, said, "If you don't sell it within a couple weeks, then we will give it away."� He looked at me, smiled, then replied, "Oh, it will sell."� Less than two weeks later, my son had sold the broken down Xbox unit for more than a 400% profit.

Children Who Succeed

Since then, he and my other two children have been showcased in the news and other places for their talents and business acumen. But that yard sale moment was the life-changing point for me, and over the next several years, my wife and I vigorously studied the lives of other youth. We found they had so much more potential and motivation for success than we or others had ever considered. We met or talked with over 140 youth who started their own businesses, including landscaping, baking, computer work, singing, and more.

While starting a business for youth was an exciting adventure, the true message was, given the right tools and opportunities, youth develop a strong sense of work, accomplishment, have high self-esteem, and resiliency from the negative messages the world attacks them with.

As parents, we often get a deluge of requests from our children than may seem frivolous or even harmful, but if you are prepared, those little moments can give your children the kind of return they need to be happy in life. Regardless of where your child goes in life, each of the Action Steps below can be used to give them the tools of confidence and self-sufficiency they'll need to succeed.

Action Steps

• Visit with your child and learn what he or she likes to do.

• Make it a practice to compliment your child more for their talents and to lovingly criticize or correct them for their mistakes.

• Encourage your child to use their talents to help others.

• Look for opportunities to make work or chores enjoyable.

• Ask your child what they want to do as a job later in life; ask if your child wants to visit or interview those who are already performing that kind of work.