3 minutes read
Many parents hope that one day their children will take responsibility in their business. The problem is that "one day" rarely arrives. School becomes the priority. Then sports. Then another summer passes and the moment is gone.
Before we realize it, our children graduate with years of classroom education but almost no real-world responsibility.
Even when we do bring our children into the business, we often fail to treat their development seriously. A new employee receives onboarding, training, goals, feedback, accountability, and performance reviews. Our own children often receive none of these. We are lenient to the point of being neglectful.
This is a mistake.
Muslim Founder Brief
A daily briefing on Muslim ownership, responsibility, and disciplined building.
What real work teaches
There is no school, university, or extracurricular activity that teaches responsibility like real work. Real work teaches:
- Accountability
- Discipline
- Communication
- Problem solving
- The relationship between effort and results
Sixteen years of schooling, minimal practical training
Most parents spend sixteen or more years preparing their children to find a job using standard schooling and extracurricular activities. Far fewer spend sixteen years preparing them to perform a job, create value, solve problems, serve customers, lead people, or build something of their own.
A degree may help a child enter the workforce. Responsibility prepares them to succeed in it.
Preparing them to preserve what they inherit
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"It is better that you leave your inheritors wealthy than leave them poor, begging from others." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5354)
If a person is just handed over wealth and he does not know how to manage it, it will go as it came. Part of the wealth needed to give to our children is the discipline, skills, character, and judgment required to preserve and grow what they inherit.
That cannot be taught in a classroom. It can only be learned through real responsibility, real consequences, and real work.
What responsibilities are you intentionally preparing your children to carry ten years from now?
Muslim Founder Brief
A daily briefing on Muslim ownership, responsibility, and disciplined building.
Muslim Founder Brief
A daily briefing on Muslim ownership, responsibility, and disciplined building.
Muslim Founder Brief
A daily briefing on Muslim ownership, responsibility, and disciplined building.
