Technology and its development has created futures that sound like science fiction one year - and become reality the next.
The creative parent of the 21st century acquires the thinking skills of her child's preference quadrant and applies them, but also makes sure that her child understands differences in preferences.
The result of Paul Torrance's creativity test (TTCT), used worldwide to test people's creative abilities, are an indictment of us as parents and teachers. These results have shown that 98% of children from 3 to 5 years revealed a superior level of creative behaviour.
At the age of 10 years, only 32% of the children were still at this level and at the age of 15, the figure dropped to 10%.
It is alarming that of the adults above 25 years of age who were tested, only 2% were still superior in their creative behaviour.
Although there are definite preferences which are already determined at birth, there are various factors that form our thinking preferences in the course of time. These factors include the influence of: parents, relatives, teachers, education/training, mentors, the environment, change, experts or trauma.
The 20th century offered parents and children far more guarantees - a job if you were qualified for it, stability in your chosen career and a job for life if you wanted it, retirement at 65 and a pension that could sustain you.
Now many young people with degrees go home to play some more computer games to pass the time, doctors and lawyers are working as waiters, retirement funds are not enough, especially because people are living longer and longer. A good education no longer guarantees and income or years of stability. This is a fact of the 21st century that parents and children alike will have to become comfortable with. Children will change careers several times in their lifetime, jobs even more often.
We need to shape courageous future-looking individuals who are excited about change and renewal. As parens we need to guide our children to see possibilities where others may see barries, they have to set targets and goals that stretch beyond the ordinary.
Teach your child the value of self-discipline. A person with a good self-image also has control over himself.
Nobody can think for you and nobody else can take responsibility for your thinking.
The children of today have an immense need for recognition - do not be stingy with it, give and give and give!
