Growing an innovator

Parenting is probably the hardest career on the planet right now, what with so many options available and so much expert advice available at your fingertips. I would also add that since education systems are at the threshold of change and they are in a constant state of flux, much depends on the environment that parents create at home.

What is the environment that is needed to grow an innovator?

I am fixating on the word 'innovator' since it has implications for all the behaviours that are the hallmark of a successful person in the 21st century. I suppose I should also go on to define successful as being happy, having an impact on the planet, and just generally being able to have a smile on your face when you have you used up your quota of life, contented that you have taken from and given to life all that you want. Perhaps also having done it in a balanced way that helps others remember you with a smile.

The hardest thing for a parent to do is to let our child go. We are so used to having our child depend on us that we forget he is developing his own personality, and his own likes, dislikes, wants and needs. Truth be told though, we do all we can to train our child to be independent form the second he is born, but find it impossible to sever that connection. But sever it we must, and let our child make mistakes and get into jams and roadblocks as much as possible; and we need to stand back to let him extricate himself out of them.

Mistakes made in childhood apply just as mistakes made during projects. They need to be done early, cheaply and quickly. The first stages of a project when these can take place, is equivalent to childhood. A child can even fall on the ground and not get as injured badly as adults, simply because they are lighter, do not have that much power, and have astonishing healing and recovery rates. They can swear and scream at each other and still remain friends, unlike us adults. They can make embarrassing blunders, and laugh at themselves. All these provided of course, you allow them to go out there and explore.

Parents can prepare and support children in providing the environment that grows an innovator by providing the right foods and the right physical, mental and resting routines. Fresh and wholesome foods, which means it does not come out of a can or packaging, are essential to stimulate the growth of strong brains, bones and bodies. Of these, the proteins and Omega 3’s are probably the most important ingredients you could possibly give them. Another important factor, especially in today’s acidifying food environments that contain soft drink sludge, sugars, excessive carbohydrates, dairy products and fast, garbage food; is to keep your child’s body alkalinised. A simple, cheap way to do this is to juice a whole organic lemon and have your child drink it down upon waking and before going to bed. It promotes healthy growth for all the three B’s (Brains, bodies and bones), and ensure the immune system stays healthy and negates the ill effects of sugars.

Omega 3’s help stimulate the growth of brain networks and maintains the integrity of the tissues of the nervous system. It is not about the number of brain cells that you have, but more importantly the brain networks that are built. This is what contributes to a powerful brain and efficient mental processes. It has been estimated that just taking pure Omega 3’s alone will increase your IQ by a few percentage points. Don’t take my word for it though, do your own research. Easy enough with the internet containing all the details you will need.

Omega 3’s also combat the ill effects of having too much Omega 6’s in our modern diet. The normal ratio of Omega 3:6 should be 1:1, but is something like 1:200 in our modern diets. This screws our biological systems. Everything that tastes good, cakes, cookies, breads, grains; all contain Omega 6’s, an inflexible molecule that replaces Omega 3’s in our bodies. Scientists are theorizing that this is the main reason for heart problems, diabetes, organ failure and the many things bad happening to our bodies.

Sleep? Give your child eight hours with a half to one hour nap in the afternoon. Period. Don’t have children if you believe they can do with less. Don’t have children if you also believe that if they have worked hard the whole week, they should continue to work hard during the weekend. My strong opinion that will not sit comfortably with many parents, but you try sleeping 6 hours and working seven days a week with no fun and doing-nothing-time. If you can be happy living like that for years and years, tell me please. I want to be the first to call you a liar.

I also would propose that children need pushing. They need to experience the pains of loss, losing, winning, being tired now and then, apologizing, standing up to bullies and arrogant teachers, adults and friends, dealing with the implications of standing up for themselves, doing things they hate, doing community service, giving up their money to help others, not having things other kids have but not comparing themselves to their friends – these are all part of the picture.

At the same time, you need to get them to try everything. Force them on stage and let them see for themselves if they like it. Force them into sports, and find out what they are good at. Let them travel with a school team, and live in crappy beds, bathe in cold water and eat terrible (but clean) food. Let them fall sick and build their immune systems. Let them seize all the days of their lives and experience all these days for themselves.

Don’t build false worlds for them. Deal with situations as they happen, and explain things and make sure your child understands what, why, when, where and how. The must use the computer to know how to use the internet and make the internet work for them. They will be exposed to porn, creeps and perverts on social sites, scams – they need the exposure while under your guidance, so they know how to recognize these and deal with them when you are not around. They need to know that what they say on the net can come back very quickly and bite them back, or reward them – depending on what they said of course.

This is a topic that takes a book to deal with. But the point is that there are plenty of purposeful things you the parent need to do to grow that innovator. The idea is that you need an all-rounder who knows how to view and interact with the world, brimming with confidence and the realisation that he CAN deal with the world, come what may.

Sure, you will have palpitations and lots of heart breaks and joys too, but that is what it is all about. You need to build your confidence to the point where you are one day able to stand back to say, “Hey, it IS alright to let him go.”

If you do have that realisation someday, then you would have succeeded in having your home-grown innovator. It will be time to stand back and enjoy the show that will be his life.