Children today are simply warehoused in elementary school, controlled by a time clock and bell, and fed data so they can some day be prepared for jobs that won’t exist when they graduate. American children are behind pretty much every civilized country’s children when they graduate. In 1988, when I just started college, I had a friend in calculus class that was from Afghanistan. He had to kill Russian soldiers to protect his family and village WHILE he studied calculus in high school. Our class was doing work he did as freshman! (Our system wouldn’t accept his transcript from a “lesser” country.”) I was in the gifted math class as a senior and I had to drop calculus because I’d never even heard of calculus in school.
Don’t fret! The point is to challenge our kids, THEY CAN HANDLE IT! Most importantly, challenge them to be creative, they’ll blow you away. In fact, drop your ego and help them SURPASS you.
Here’s a specific tip: encourage them in the arts. Our new world needs creative people not data pushers. Creatives will rule the new economy. (Notice Apple growing and Microsoft stumbling.) Music is a wonderful way to encourage creativity. Music is mathematical, takes discipline, while it also exercises the right hemisphere of creativity and relationships.
Here’s a cool keyboard (typing and piano) I ran across for your PC (sorry Mac folks) that can help your kids learn music & play the piano. Sure beats them mindlessly learning how to play video games or Barbies. For around $50 you can quickly unplug your old keyboard and plug this one in. Change your PC’s keyboard and your kids can expand their soul. If you’ve got friends with kids, share the idea.
Remember, KIDS CAN TAKE IT! Challenge them. Believe in them. Help them become great and STOP worrying about how much they like you.
Check out this video of a piano solo on this baby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzGLJ9wEM-U&feature=related
OK, it’s fine to get one for youself! Creative creation uplifts the soul…
Leave a Reply