I would have loved to make this article a general one, I think it would have been great if everyone can work collectively to make the future a better place for generations to come but a lot of people would definitely prove to be smart and it would see everyone's effort put to waste.
There is a story I read when I was younger, a lot of Nigerians would know the story. It was from a book we used in school title "Ijapa Tioroko oko Yanibo".
There was a celebration that was supposed to happen in the animal kingdom and all animals had to be involved, they were told to come along to the party with a keg of palm wine each. They will turn everything in a tank and they can all drink from it.
The day came and all animals prepared for the event, they got their palm wine ready but the tortoise got small palm wine and missed it with water hoping that when everything is mixed together, they won't know what he did.
He got there and turned his content into the tank like everyone else, the celebration started.
It was time for everyone to make a toast, everyone filled their cup from the tank and after toasting, they drank up. The reaction on everyone's face was terrible, why?
The drink tasted more of water than palm wine, tortoise thought he was the only smart guy and in the end, he wasn't. A lot of people choose to play smart when their task is a combined one with other unknowing to them that there are people who think like them and in the end, their fake effort leads to failure.
What's the point of the story?
Joining hands to make the future great for the coming generation would be best done individually because a lot of people would relax since they ain't the only ones involved.
The problem many of us had today is a result of not getting the adequate help we needed to fulfill our dreams.
I once shared how I wish to become a pilot, imagine I had the support then. I should be flying across the world today but it wouldn't be fair to blame our parents as well because they also struggled just like we are doing now and it is left for us to break the chain or tie it to our offspring for them to continue the struggles.
The world has changed from what it used to be, things ain't going in circulation anymore because the population of the world keeps expanding every day.
We have outnumbered the opportunities available in the world and if things are like this today, what do we expect the world to look like in two or three decades from now?
It has always been my concern what life would be like for my coming generation and I believe that it is the same for a lot of people as well.
Unlike before when education was the only thing our parents saw as a way out of poverty, they believed it was the only thing that guarantees a better future. It still does but not for everyone, I mentioned earlier that the opportunities available in the world ain't enough anymore.
There is a huge competition out there now and I fear how tough it would get as time goes.
If you don't know this, read and understand that the best way to prepare the future for your offspring is by:
•Preparing opportunities for them:
I have seen parents who would say that they can only prepare for their kid's future after they have enjoyed their own life to the fullest. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life but what comes of you when you can run around to earn a living for yourself, what would you be expecting from the kids you never cared for?
You have countless reasons why you should create opportunities for your offspring.
During my secondary school days, I had a friend who is from an average family. The father owned a sachet and bottled water company, he placed his kids as head there while he went searching for more investment.
This friend of mine was able to have a branch immediately after secondary school and his brand became a big one before he completed his higher Institution Education. His father already created an opportunity for him while he can, today this same guy now has over 10 branches on the mainland.
Imagine the father says he wants to be dependent on the boy, do you think the boy would be worried?
That's not the case, the point is that his father created the opportunity for him to excel in life. While we were struggling to go to school, he was paying his bills and while we were looking for a job to make ends meet, he was already paying people salaries.
It doesn't have to be creating a business, there are numerous ways we can create opportunities for our offspring but investing seems to be my best move.
-In a world where things are going completely digital, I will choose to invest in cryptocurrency for my offspring.
-Having a physical investment wouldn't be a bad idea, a business, a company or a brand with a long life span should be considered.
-Purchasing landed properties that can serve as an asset to them as time goes on, we all know how land and buildings appreciate these days, it would be of great help to them in the future.
•Give them a good chance among their competitors.
I said earlier about the world being a competitive place and we must give our offspring something that would give them an edge over their competitors.
How can you achieve this?
Not everyone would be able to own a business or company but we can empower these kids with the knowledge that would be of great help for them in the future.
Empowering them with skills and knowledge is one way to achieve this, many people indeed make sure their kids are educated but how relevant is the knowledge they have gotten from school in this competitive world.
Recently, I saw this little boy doing a tutorial video on crypto trading, and the first thing that came to my mind was that his parents have prepared him for the future. That knowledge would be of great help for him and he has an edge over his peers who knows nothing about cryptocurrency.
Aside from crypto, there are lots of life changing skills out there but ensure it is a skill that would be relevant decade after decade.
No matter how tough it would be, I think it is an obligation of a parent to secure a decent education for their kids.