It’s fantastic that we can secure our children’s financial future, but have you ever considered how you can invest in your children beyond money?
As parents, we often focus on financial investments for our children’s future with university funds, savings accounts, investment bonds, stock funds and inheritances.
Investing has become quite the buzz lately, thanks to the rise of social media platforms. You’ve got all these exciting new ways to invest like cryptocurrencies and the stock market is more accessible than ever.
However, there are other equally important ways to invest in their growth, wellbeing, and character. Let’s look at the best non-monetary ways to invest in your children that can have a lasting impact.
Your time and your presents
I’d argue above all, that this is more valuable than money. Spend quality time with your children, engage in activities they enjoy, listen to their stories, and be present during important moments.
Whether it’s playing board games, going for a walk, or baking cookies together, these shared experiences strengthen your bond. Really listen to their stories, whether they’re about school, friends, or imaginary adventures.
I always notice my daughter mostly craves my attention when she sees me watching TV. Learn to be present during important moments, like cheering them on at football games or celebrating their achievements. These moments create lasting connections and contribute to their emotional wellbeing.
School, education and learning
Learning never stops even when school does. Education is such a powerful investment for your children, encourage curiosity and a love for learning. This will ensure they excel at school, university and in life.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford private school, there are some advantages of private vs public school. Also depending on what you value there are some disadvantages too.
Read together, visit museums, explore nature, and discuss ideas. Reading is an important investment. Read books, stories, and articles together.
Discuss characters, themes, and ideas. It not only does this enhance their language skills but also broadens their perspectives. Visit museums, art galleries, science centres, and historical sites.
This will expose your children to different cultures, art forms, and scientific wonders. These experiences spark curiosity and critical thinking.
Spend time outdoors as much as possible it’s for your own good too. Explore parks, forests, beaches, and gardens. Nature will provide endless opportunities for learning whether it’s watching wildlife, identifying plants, or understanding ecosystems.
Wellbeing and emotional support
Your children are now more connected and exposed to the world with the power of the internet and social media. I mentioned to my wife the other day that our brain can experience multiple feelings and emotions in just a few swipes of social media.
Taking this into account and depending on how much you let your children consume social media with the addition of life in general their emotions are more likely to be unpredictable.
They need your support, be their safe space. Validate their feelings, provide comfort, and teach resilience. Create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of criticism or punishment.
Show them how to take care of their physical and mental well-being. Resilience comes from self-awareness and self-care.
Social skills and relationships
The one thing we all should invest in is social skills and relationships. Whether you’re a child or adult you will have to socialise and interact with people in some shape or form.
Investing in these skills from a young age will be crucial for success in various aspects of life, from school to the workplace or in business.
Teach them to recognise and manage their emotions to help them build healthy relationships and encourage effective communication. Working on verbal and non-verbal will shape them to express themselves, resolve conflicts, and collaborate with others contributing to their mental wellbeing and resilience.
Finally focus on empathy and compassion. Teaching empathy cultivates kindness and understanding maybe volunteering together to help the elderly or homeless.
Children who learn to empathise are more likely to form positive connections with peers and adults.
Independence and responsibility
Depending on the age of your children you can gradually give them responsibilities. I remember by the age of 14 my mum stopped ironing my school shirts, making me packed lunch and I oversaw mowing the grass when it got too long.
By the age of 16, I was working part-time, buying my own clothes, cooking for myself, paying for my own mobile phone credit (before contracts) and attending college full-time.
All this independence and responsibility from a young age even though I’d rather just sit around and play video games all day. It all paid off because my mum unfortunately died when I turned 18 and I found myself renting a room in a shared house a year later. My life skills kicked in and I managed to get by just fine.
As parents, we may reach a fine line between doing everything or doing nothing for our children.
What we must remember is that growth comes from the less we interfere. You can’t build resilience without challenges or some sort of hardship. Understandably you want to be able to pick the challenges your kids go through before life hands it to them, and they aren’t ready to deal with it.
I believe in allowing them to make decisions and learn from mistakes. We can push for independence while providing safety from a distance.
The right investments will compound over time
Shape your children into resilient, compassionate, and capable individuals compounded over time. Money matters, but the intangible investment in your children overall will leave a legacy that will last beyond your lifetime.
In the end what we hope for is a happy, well-balanced, educated individual that can be a productive and contributing member to their family and in society.
