Learning to use my laptop, my 12 year old son become my technician.

Our learning time was time well spent. His effort was evident and very helpful in his care and attention to my needs. I don't know how he was able to know most of the things that needed to be done to get the laptop running. Am saying this because he never attended any computer school or training.

He learned from his independent research and was able to accomplish a great task in accomplishing my task. He likes to explore with any device be it a mobile phone or any other internet-enabled device. He has fixed my phone on several occasions saving me the money I would have spent for repair.

Every time, he is with a mobile phone he always likes watching how to fix one thing or the other on YouTube or a book he has bought on how to fix things. He is very good at remembering things. He was so engrossed in helping me to set up my laptop.

I said to him before he started working on the laptop, no, let me take it to an expert to help with the installation, but he replied to me, no dad let me do it. I was like what? When did you learn how to work with a computer? He replied to me, just wait and see.

So after a short time he stopped and looked at me, and said I am almost done with the laptop, I did it perfectly. I was so amazed and pleased at what he had done.

It was the first time I got to see him do something like this and to realize that his interest in this process was from a pure heart, I gave him a pat on his back and said well done.

My wife and his younger siblings showered him with praise and lots of hugs and kisses. My response to my child was, "You did a great job and earned the reward." I was so excited and proud of him. I didn't stop to think that he might have learned this skill from watching YouTube videos. He is not a computer person or familiar with this technology. He was just interested to know how it is done and the result that he was able to achieve.

Watching him and learning with him has been priceless. We were able to add to my knowledge and his knowledge in working on this device. He is so excited to be able to help someone or teach someone how to operate and set up the device. This is a great privilege and a way for us to share the knowledge with my son in a different way.

Seeing him help someone, as he always does, and being able to share the joy and excitement of our achievement is more satisfying than receiving a monetary reward. I am happy because he has done a great job, and that we have been able to add value to his learning process.

He did something awesome again for me this afternoon. I left my phone to be changed while attending the church service earlier today, after the service, as I went to take the phone from the place of charging it, I saw the phone switching on and off on its own. I tried all I could to make it stop behaving that way but my effort yielded no result. But when we got home my son took the phone from me and told me he can fix it. And he did, he removed the Sims and I don't know what else he did to the phone, in another 10 minutes he brought the phone to me now working perfectly.

I can't explain how happy I am for the knowledge and technical skill he has to have figured out how to fix it for me. I hope and pray that God will bless my son with more wisdom and insight, and that he would continue to display such heartwarming behavior that he has been displaying for me.

I cannot thank God enough for blessing me with a son like my child. I can't help but wonder what it would have cost me to fix the phone and the laptop if I don't have a child like this, and if we had taken our time and tried other options.

When I saw my son do the same thing as he did for me today, all I could say was wow, wow, wow. What would I have done with my phone if I were to fix it like he did today, now you see why I don't like to get stuck with any task I am not educated or experienced enough to finish, and for a great reason, we wouldn't have had this experience today.

Bonus: How to build your child's character

I don't want to let pride get the best of me, it's good to be a blessing and help to others even if it requires extra work. So here are some things you can do to build your child's character and become an inspiration.

1. Allow him to fail

Some parents jump in and try to correct their child's mistakes, and this builds their pride and the feeling of a failure in their child. I don't like jumping in with my child to correct him. Yes, sometimes he may throw tantrums or gets angry and acts on impulse, but he will learn from those missteps, and I prefer to let him make those mistakes instead of correcting him so that when he does make them and doesn't want to make them again, he knows there is something to learn from it. The fact is you don't like it when your child doesn't do things the way you want him to, do yourself a favor, first, remove all your pride, then invite your child to make his own mistakes, without correction. If you correct him, he will not learn and would continue to make those mistakes.

2. Give them responsibility

Giving your child responsibility is another way to build their character and make them not only be their own person but also teach them the basic principles of being responsible and a life-long learner.

Giving him responsibility for certain responsibilities, and then letting him discover for himself that he can succeed in that role, will make him know how valuable it is to complete tasks that he can succeed in. Giving a child responsibility, like cleaning up after himself when he has finished eating or bathing himself, is the same as teaching him a valuable life lesson. By helping him succeed in these tasks, then having him clean up after himself is not only teaching him how valuable it is to get things done on his own, but also how valuable it is to be the one responsible for completing a task that is within his reach, as opposed to allowing others to make him do their work.

The act of getting it done on his own, rather than allowing others to finish it for him, is the same as having pride and thus it is considered a form of pride. For this reason, allow your child to complete a task that is within their reach. If he wants to vacuum the house, allow him to vacuum the house. This will help him learn how valuable it is to be the one responsible for completing a task on his own, and will inspire him to become more responsible and self-reliant as he grows up. It is also a wonderful lesson in hard work and determination. By making your child dust his room, you are teaching him how to respect you, and teaching him a valuable lesson in hard work and perseverance.

If your child wants to play a video game, permit him and take the time to teach him how to play that game as you finish reading the paper or watching television. Take responsibility for your child, teach him, and then watch how proud you become when he finally has that "aha" moment and beats the level. You are the example of how to teach your child responsibility and how important it is to value your time and be accountable for yourself.

3. Allow them to develop their personality

This will teach your child that he is not the center of the universe. They will also have to come up with new ideas and solutions. Children will begin to respect their environment and others. If your kid is in a competitive environment, you can always have him play in the park or on the playground. This also helps him develop his sense of responsibility, which is one of his primary strengths. You may want to help him build a team of friends, and make sure that they are treated with respect and kindness.

The end of this activity is to build your children's self-confidence. Self-esteem is planetary-scale, so it will be much easier for your kids to overcome their fears and develop self-worth. Achieving self-esteem will help your son or daughter feel like an important person.

I thank God for his gift in my son, and the knowledge he has to offer to me and others.

God bless every child who has become an inspiration and pride to the parents.

NB: May God makes us aware of the desire of our hearts and makes them real to us.