by Johnson Temiloluwa | Apr 5, 2022 | Business & Finance
The name or brand “Dangote” doesn’t sound foreign to you, if it does then you are not a true Nigerian. I could even push further and say not a true African. But I wouldn’t, let’s stop in my country. Recognizing his name and the facts about Dangote means he is doing something right in the business world, hence, someone with his kind of experience with business has a few things about himself and his business that could inspire every businessman. Recently, I wrote about quotes from Dangote that are nugget worthy and will motivate you. In this article, I’ll share with you facts about Dangote and 15 things about him every businessman should know.
Who is Aliko Dangote?
Aliko Dangote is a 64years old business magnate and the richest man in Africa. He is the founder and CEO of the Dangote Group. He was born in Kano, Nigeria and his education was mostly in Egypt, Cairo.
Dangote comes from a well-known business inclined family, he is the grandson of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata; he was the richest person in Africa at the time he was alive. He ventured into business at the age of 21. Aliko Dangote owns the second-largest sugar refinery in the whole world, the largest cement factory in the world (again), one of the largest flour mills in the world, and the number two largest fertilizer plant in the world.
According to Forbes, Dangote is worth $14 billion and has maintained topping the list of the richest men in Africa for more than 10 years.
Dangote is a quintessential and successful businessman and a philanthropist.
next, I’ll be sharing with you the things every businessman should know about him. They will be factual as I will be adding his words to each point.
Things Every Businessman Should Know About Dangote
There are people who think that because Dangote is from a rich successful business family, he is privileged, and not every business owner can learn from him. This notion is understandable but stay with me, the things I’ll be sharing with you will probably change that notion.
Regardless of your money status or how long you’ve been a business person, there’s something you can adopt into your business from knowing these facts about Dangote.
1. Dangote Understands the Need for Passion
Here’s what he said during an interview with Bloomberg when he was asked to share a business hack.
We had already studied doing 300,000 barrels a day back in 2005. At that time I couldn’t even fathom a larger refinery. I had no financial capacity. Then in about 2010, we paid all Dangote Group’s debts, which amounted to $2 billion…We don’t want to listen to the critics, because their intention is to destroy us. We are using our own money. This is my lifetime project. I have to back it up with my own life to make sure it is delivered.
There is no way you can have a population of 320 million in West Africa and no self-sufficiency. So the first thing to do is food security. We have land, we have water, we have the climate—we shouldn’t be a massive importer of food. With modern farming, you can get 8 to 10 tons per hectare. I believe Dangote Group is in the right position to drive this trajectory.
This statement oozes passion from every angle. He had a huge amount of debt to pay but his passion for what he does as a business kept him going. Among many other things, It takes passion to keep at a business, especially failure to some extent looms.
Also, I believe that before a business, there’s a person behind it, and there’s a passion driving the business in the person. Do you get it?
2. Dangote is Hungry for Success and Confident While at it
In the interview he had with Bloomberg, he said a lot of inspiring things and I’ll point out one of them again.
Beginning in 2020 our major investment will be in the U.S. and Europe… Beginning in 2020, 60 percent of our future investments will be outside Africa, so we can have a balance.
Let’s say that by 2025, I’m looking at [putting in] between $20 billion and $50 billion [in Europe or the U.S].
Our business strategy has always been like that, yes. We don’t want to be No. 2 in anything that we do. We want to be No. 1. Worst case, we can be No. 2 but targeted to become No. 1
Put in mind, this was a well-successful man already. Everyone knew how successful he was but, he was hungry for more success and it kept him on his toes to do more, be more, and have more.
3. Provide Valuable Goods and Services
When Dangote was asked why he chose to be involved with cement. His reply would shock you;
I think actually what I figured out was looking at the entire African continent, especially sub-Saharan, and saying, “What do we actually produce?” What I learned is that the majority of African countries imported cement. The better way, I thought, would be to empower Africa – to meet our own infrastructural needs so that we could be more self-sufficient.
Personally, I think this is where business owners get it wrong. They provide a service that is not a solution. Dangote realized a sector that was lacking and built a business up from there. Dear business owner, before venturing into a business, make sure to find what solution it will provide.
4. Dangote is Thoughtful
There’s a trend that goes on around business owners which is taking up an interest in selling what is trendy and popular. Dangote thinks otherwise and he did differently. Here’s what he said:
The majority of people here made their money through oil. But Dangote has never ever dealt in oil, which is to prove that you don’t have to be in oil. In Nigeria, oil has really damaged our thinking. Everyone is thinking about oil, oil, oil. And we are one company that has made a success without doing that.
Business owners, you do not have to follow the trend of what other business people do. Look carefully, there’s something else to be done. Think deeply, relating to the previous point, there is a solution that people need, you just have to find it.
5. Dangote Is Bold and Daring
There’s a saying that, “only a bold man makes the bold moves”. Before a business gets successful, an entrepreneur must have taken a move that was out of their comfort zone. Can you think of yourself as being bold? No? A business person should be able to do this and this is one of the facts about Dangote that I find really inspiring as someone that is interested in business.
We make a lot of bold moves, which other people find really difficult to take. We always dream very big, and we’re committed to investing in Africa… the only way to move Africa forward is for people like us to take very bold moves. I never worry about being too bold. In business it’s good to be aggressive, but with a human face.
The above statement is what Dangote said in a recent interview.
6. Dangote is Consistent
What makes a business known for the value it has to offer is the consistency in the running of the business.
Dangote says:
To hold on to consistency, find ways to remove hitches that come with entrepreneurship.
7. Dangote Appreciates People and Hire the Smart Ones
I always make sure I hire people smarter than me.
A business only thrives when there are various heads with different brilliant task execution. Dangote is aware of this so he hires smarter people, that way, things get done with the help of these people’s brains.
8. Dangote Wants to Make People Happy
He said:
My grandfather once told me the soul of business is not making money, it is making people happy and I have held on to it
9. Dangote Embraces Competition
Don’t kill the competition. Competition is healthy for businesses. It keeps you the entrepreneur on your toes.
He sees competition as an opportunity to be better and do better.
10. Dangote Is a Big Dreamer but Knows the Importance of Starting Small
To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big
Any business has its early beginning which is definitely small. He encourages starting small with the hope that it gets big and better.
11. Dangote Makes Tough Decisions to Keep His Company Afloat
If I had challenges in my company, I would not hesitate to sell assets to remain afloat, to get to the better times, because it doesn’t make any sense for me to keep any assets and then suffocate the whole organization.
He is aware and knows when certain risks should be taken.
12. Dangote is Patient
You could easily tell that hard work and perseverance go hand in hand with patience. We often hear people say patience is worth it, yet we don’t practice it. I did and look how well it worked out for me.
Dear business owner, be patient. It takes time to build anything.
13. Dangote Makes Adequate Research About Business
The most dangerous thing for an entrepreneur to do is to actually go into a business that he does not understand fully.
Do not, I repeat, do not venture when you don’t understand. This is one of the facts about Dangote that I find admirable. Every business owner should do this
14. Dangote Started to Build With Ambition
If you don’t have ambition, you shouldn’t be alive.
Ambition is basically what you want from life. Dangote chose the business part and he followed through with it.
15. Dangote Knows When to Sleep
I cannot stress this enough, it’s okay to be passionate about your business but know when to sleep. Know when to rest and build the body. Dangote says:
Exercise is better than any medicine I can take; exercise and sleep.
Don’t wait until you fall sick, If the richest man in Africa prioritizes exercise and sleep, who are you not to?
Conclusion
Every single point and fact about Dangote in business can increase your process as a business owner, you just have to take what you need and make use of it.
While you are here, this is the best time to read the effective qualities every entrepreneur should have.
I wish you a successful business. Cheers to your growth!
FAQs
What is Dangote slogan?
“Building prosperity and self-sufficiency.”
What is Dangote full name?
Alhaji Aliko Dangote
How much does Dangote make in a day?
Dangote makes around 15 million a day
What is Dangote’s position in the world?
He is the richest man in the continent of Africa for 1, 2, 3…11th year. Yes, you are seeing right.
What type of company is Dangote?
Dangote is a Nigerian multinational industrial conglomerate and its position is the largest corporation in West Africa and also one of the largest in Africa.
What has Dangote done for Nigeria?
The list is quite lengthy but the most notable and world-recognized one is this; In the year 2021, Dangote (Cement sector) moved to erect the biggest cement plant in Africa in Southwest Nigeria. With this, It made Nigeria a cement exporting country.
Who gave Dangote money to start business?
His uncle; Sanusi Abdulkadir Dantata gave Dangote money to start business. Dangote was the one that actually requested the loan.
by Umar Farouk Kabir | Dec 6, 2021 | Personal Growth
At one point or another in time, we have been asked to describe ourselves, and more often than not, we end up fumbling it. Writing a bio can be like that sometimes.
We all could use some home every now and then. That article serves as a guide for all those having trouble writing a proper bio.
Whether it is a bio for blog LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or any website, this article will help you learn the various steps taken to write a professional bio like a champ.
What Is a Bio?
Before we dive into the do’s and don’ts of writing a bio, you must first acquaint yourself with what a bio is and why it is important to learn how to write one.
A bio is basically short of Biography. Now, normally in literature, biographies are quite lengthy. Some come In the form of an article, others come in the form of books. In the online community, however, bios are short paragraphs where you simply introduce yourself. You find bios on social media pages and other networking sites.
The primary objective of a bio is to give a brief account of who you are. Whether it’s for business sake or otherwise, giving an insight to who you improve transparency and trust.
When writing a professional bio, there are certain points that must not be overlooked.
These points are:
- Job title and workplace
- Recent Educational background
- City of residence
- Personal and professional goals
- Skills
- Hobbies
How To Write a Professional Bio
The Best online bios are short and concise. Write a professional bio for Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram and other networking platforms by following these steps:
- Introduction
- State your brand name or place of work
- Explain your role in your place of work
- State professional achievements
- Briefly Discuss your passions and life values
- Mention your personal interests
1. Introduction
The obvious first step is to introduce yourself by stating your full name. Professional online bios are written in the third person, so ensure your full is what comes first before anything else. This builds some form of connection between you and the person reading the bio.
Here’s an example:
Muhammad Abubakar is an Administrative Assistant…..
2. State Your Brand Name
Depending on what type of bio you’re writing, it could be a personal or a bio for a business; in this case, you’ll have to State the name of your brand at the beginning of the bio.
Do not be worried if it sounds ‘lightweight’, it’s perfectly okay. For instance, to say Muhammad Abubakar is the Founder of Northpad.ng is very acceptable.
This ‘lightweight’ line has served the purpose of introducing you and your brand at the same time. You see the point?
For example:
Firdausi Sule Dauda is a serial and social entrepreneur who is best known for her most recent and most successful venture, Jannah shoes.
3. Explain Your Role in Your Workplace
What comes next is explaining your role in your workplace. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of the company or a secretary. What matters is that you State your role and briefly explain it.
Do bear in mind that the readers of your bio might not necessarily know what your job entails, so a brief explanation offers some insight into what you do and what you’re capable of.
Example:
Muhammad Abubakar is an Administrative Assistant with 5 years of experience working alongside the executive team of the Green Bay energy company.
Muhammad specializes in administrative tech, and is responsible for educating other employees on using innovative systems and applications, including accounting software, mass communication procedures and organizational applications.
In the example above, Muhammad’s role in the Green Bay energy company was clearly explained.
4. State Professional Achievements
After briefly explaining your role, next you talk about what you achieved on a professional level. Do not worry too much if you have not won any awards. You can simply discuss the contributions you made in finishing company projects and the ideas you brought to the table in order to solve problems.
For example
Muhammad Abubakar won the employee of the year award for two years running due to his outstanding performances in administrative tasks.
Do not be afraid to show off a little.
5. Briefly Discuss Your Passions and Life Values
This is one of the most vital points to consider when writing a bio.
You have to think about what drives you, what motivates and why you do the things you do.
What is your mission?
Is it to serve others, to develop interpersonal relationships between others? Ensure smooth administrative operations? Well, whatever it is, do not be afraid to clearly state it as your audience will like to know the driving force behind your actions.
Example:
Muhammad Abubakar is driven by the desire to always perform at an optimum level. The need to ensure smooth operation and maximum effectiveness in any task he is assigned to is unquenchable.
6. Mention Your Personal Interests
Lastly, talk about your personal interests briefly. A bio doesn’t talk about professional life only, it also touches your personal life. Here, you can talk about what you do in your leisure time. Perhaps you’re working on a personal project, you hit the gym or you just spend time with friends and family.
This gives a snapshot of the type of person you are outside of work.
For example:
Muhammad Abubakar likes to spend time with his family on his days off. Creating a good and strong family bond is of utmost importance to him. Muhammad also hits the gym whenever possible in order to remain fit and healthy.
Difference Between Short Bios and Long Bios
As you can imagine, there are long bios and short bios. Depending on the platform and other needs you may have, you will need either of the two. Below are some examples for short bios and long bios:
Short Bio Example
Muhammad Abubakar is a Junior Web Developer for Media Hooch Technologies.
He is a decorated coder and programmer, and he enjoys using his skills to contribute to the exciting technological advances that happen every day on a global scale.
Muhammad graduated from Ahamadu Bello University, Zaria in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Software Development. While in school, he earned the 2015 award for his exemplary academic performance and leadership skills.“
Long Bio Example
Muhammad Abubakar is an accomplished Financial Analyst with over 18 years of experience in financial markets. Muhammad always ensures the viability of multi-million naira financial portfolios long-term.
He’s so efficient at his job that he considers himself a “financial portfolio guru.” Muhammad has the ability to take unhealthy portfolios and transform them into healthy and thriving ones. Because of his skills, he can produce productive and long-lasting results for high-level clients.
He caters to major companies, non-profit organizations, and hospitals. He works well with senior corporate executives and can provide consultations for international corporations.
More than her role as a Financial Analyst, he is also effective at persuading and influencing high-ranking individuals. His opinions are highly valued, people trust and respect his judgments. Muhammad earned a degree in BS Political Science back in 1996. Through his course, he developed a passionate interest in the geopolitics of northern Nigeria.
In particular, he focused on topics like sustainable development, self-government, and political economy. After he graduated, he worked hard to attain her role as a Financial Analyst for 12 years. Then he spent a year working at the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget in Kaduna.
Here, he managed bond deals worth billions of naira while handling the quantitative analysis needs of the office too. Muhammad also contributed to the development of policies and writing the legislative language in debt service structure and bond issuance areas.
For his most recent eight-year tenure as a Financial Analyst, Muhammad had successfully nourished his insatiable passion. He did this by conducting research about the investments of emerging markets and international natural resources.
He wants to engage more with influential decision-makers and thought leaders in international public policy. He’s open to challenges, conversations, and an exchange of ideas from the top players in the financial industry.
His long-term goal is to become a national-level policy adviser. He wants to use his untiring commitment and drive to bring more dignity and autonomy to the citizens of his country Nigeria, especially arewa. After getting a Graduate degree in Public Policy, he will start working towards this cause.
Muhammad had a lot of significant professional experiences as a Financial Analyst. He created several tools to help his company evaluate operational requirements more accurately and improve the forecasting of finances. He also monitors and assesses the performance of sales groups, evaluates market conditions weekly, and examines revenue trends. Apart from this, Muhammad also created a model of analysis that improved the sales of the company’s main product by a whopping 125%. He did this by correlating the sales data based on advertising and marketing expenditures.
Moreover, Muhammad supervised the transition of the company to a computer-based ordering system. This eliminated warehouse downtime and redundancies which, in turn, generated over millions of naira in savings each year. He works closely with the company’s executives to come up with budgets through the financial analyses.
These two types of bios talk about the same thing. What makes one different from the other is that there are significantly more details in the long bio.
The long bios are best suited for platforms that allow long texts.
After reading the two samples provided above, you will be able to determine which one suits you best.
Basically, writing a professional bio on these social media platforms covers the same steps mentioned above. What you should bear in that is that different social media platforms have varying word-count for their bios. You have to take that into account in order to properly convey the most important bits of information that’ll make your bio look professional and concise.
How to Write a Bio for Twitter
When writing a bio for Twitter, you have to bear in mind that you’re limited to 160 characters. It feels like it isn’t enough right? Well, 160 characters can still be enough to write a good Twitter bio.
To maximize those 160 characters, you must introduce yourself briefly, State what your Twitter page is about, add some links to your business page and ask for a follow and retweets. Here’s a good example of a professional Twitter bio:
How To Write a Bio For Instagram
If you thought Twitter bio is too limited, wait until you check out Instagram! Instagram gives its users a maximum of 150 characters for bio. This is where you have to choose your words carefully. In 150 words, you must be able to summarize what your business is about.
Pro tip: use hashtags! Instagram is the home of hashtags.
How to Write a Bio for Facebook
Facebook is arguably the most famous social media platform of all time. It boasts of billions of users worldwide. For this very reason, it has become a very powerful tool for promoting business. Every business page needs a good bio, unfortunately, Facebook limits its bio to 101 characters. Though the allowable characters are small, it is, however, still very much possible to write a good bio.
All you have to do is keep it simple and straight to the point. Of course, there are provisions where more details about your business can be written.
Here’s an example for a good Facebook business page bio:
How to Write a Bio on LinkedIn
Writing a bio for LinkedIn is a lot more flexible as the app is more liberal with characters. With a maximum character of 2000, you can express yourself a whole lot better than most social media platforms.
Here are the things you must cover when writing a Linkedin bio:
- Describe what Fuels your passion. Customers reading about a passionate business owner always feel more inclined to trusting them.
- Put your job title aside and describe what you do in simplest terms.
- Talk briefly about your past.
- Don’t be afraid to talk about your successes.
- Give the reader a glimpse of your character.
- Talk briefly about your life outside of work.
- Add rich media.
Here’s an example of a professional Linkedin bio:
Pro Tips For Writing a Professional Bio
As you take the steps mentioned above to write your bio, you must consider the following tips as well:
- Your bio should be explanatory, but it should also be short and to the point. A good formula to use is to keep each point in your bio, from your job description to your achievements and hobbies, to about 1-2 sentences. Doing this will enable your bio to be sufficiently explanatory without being too wordy.
- Take note of your audience: if you’re looking for a job or you’re writing on a business page, be sure to use a professional tone. Alternatively, when you’re writing on your Twitter or Instagram bio, you can use a more friendly and informal tone that truly reflects who you are in everyday life.
- Adapt to different platforms: depending on the platform on which you’re writing your bio, you might be given a character limit. Meaning, you might have to scale down your initially planned bio to fit in with the character limitation.
By following the steps and adopting these tips, you can create a professional bio that helps you stand out in your field like a champ.
Download a free editable bio template
Conclusion
Now that you’re up to speed on how to write a professional bio, nothing can stand in your way of creating a bio that is worthy of you. Allow your audience to get to know you better when they read a proper bio created by you. Writing a good bio doesn’t only make you feel good about yourself, but it also leaves a lasting good impression on your audience.
See also: How To Write a Good Cover Letter
by Happiness Hassan | Jun 15, 2021 | Family & Parenting
There is a connection between your happiness and your passion. Therefore, passion is an unquenchable longing and determination for something, either positive or negative. Discovering one’s interest at an earlier stage enhances a successful future profession. In addition, bring the feeling of joy and satisfaction to the soul. However, it’s the responsibility of every parent to discover their kid’s passion. Similarly, it’s beneficial to learn about how to find your child’s interest.
This serves as a guide to secure your kid’s future.
How to Discover Your Kid’s Passion
1. Observe Your Kids Critically
There is an inborn strength and abilities in everyone. These abilities are natural and performed with fewer struggles. Therefore, through observation, you can denote the natural strength of your kids. Ensure you keep a close watch on their behaviours, their shopping choice, and how they relate with their peers.
In addition, the things that make them happy and are easy for them to carry out. Perhaps, your child finds it fun to assist in preparing the meal. This attitude is a pointer to your child’s interest in catering.
2. Get Closer to Your Kids
Certain kinds of interest are not visible to detect easily. However, as a parent, you can find your child’s hidden interests by drawing closer to your kids. In other words, a healthy relationship with your kids aids you to discover their passion effortlessly. You must have a conducive atmosphere for communication with your child.
Through effective communication with your kids, you can find out their interest from their words and from the things they love to talk about the most. Therefore, you need to learn about the activities that increase the love bond between you and your kids.
3. Ignite Their Creativity
Oftentimes, a spark of creativity in your kids reveals their hidden interests. That’s why you shouldn’t wait until they are much older to find out about their interest. Instead, engage them with activities that enhance their creativity.
When your kids have a high emotional and intellectual quotient they become equipped to go for the things that make them happy and fulfilled.
4. Explore With Your Kids
Are you a parent, who is Keen on how to find your child’s interest? If yes, then you must be ready to go on adventures with your children. Locking them up within the four walls of your house wouldn’t reveal their interest. Rather, it restricts their passion. Our world is vast and filled with lots of exciting places. Therefore, allow your kids to view the beauty of the world they live in and feel the joy it brings.
During the adventure, your kids are exposed to a variety of things that can make them happy. In their happiness lies their passion. This activity includes camping, swimming, visiting wildlife parks, festivals, fishing among others.
5. Get Involved in Their Academic Activities
Furthermore, your kid’s academic performance influences their interest. This is because, beyond the scope of learning to read and write, they are exposed to various perspectives of life through the different topics taught. They learn about the lifestyle and cultural practices of others. Gradually, they start to develop an interest in the things they read about.
As a parent, how to find your child’s interest wouldn’t be stressful for you if you cherish your child’s academic performance. Ensure you select the right school for your child and assist in doing their homework. Furthermore, read informative books together with your kids. In addition, employ the help of a private tutor if need be to enhance their academic performance.
6. Random Selection
While you wait to discover your child’s natural interest. You should get them engaged with activities that may later turn out to be their interest or activities that the majority of children find fun doing. Your kids get to try lots of options and develop interest for any. This activity includes
Sports
Sporting activities enhance the immune system and keep the brain alert. Therefore, it’s not compulsory for your child to have an interest in the sport before you enrol him/her in sporting activities. However, go for a sport that is suitable for their age and keep a close watch on them not to go extreme.
Music/Musical Instruments
Music is food to the soul. Music goes beyond the production of sound. Rather, it awakens a dormant passion in one’s life. Similarly, you can employ this method to discover your child’s interest. Although music may not be their passion it will guide them into their passion by inspiring them.
Vocational Skills
Academic knowledge may not be sufficient to discover your kid’s passion if it’s not visible. However, when they learn certain vocational skills it begins to surface gradually, as they pick interest in a certain skill such as tailoring, art, and craft, interior design, hairdressing, and its sort.
7. Allow Your Kid to Mingle With Their Peers
Most parents are scared of their kids being influenced negatively by their peers. However, peer group relationships also have their advantages and benefits, such as inspiring your child to become creative. As your child sees their peers excelling at a particular thing. They are inspired to try.
In addition, kids are free among their peers to express their real selves. Hence, among their peers, they begin to showcase their strength.
Conclusion
Having learned about how to find your child’s interest. What matters most is the amount of support you give to their interest. Your support enhances the growth of their interest. Whereas, little support kills their interest. Always, ignore your child’s weaknesses and give more attention to their strengths. Therefore, if your kid’s happiness matters to you, then don’t hesitate to find their interest.
Finally, share with us how you’ve been able to discover your kid’s passion.
by Happiness Hassan | Mar 1, 2021 | Family & Parenting
A large percentage of parents fail to realize that creativity is not inborn. Rather it’s learned through quality training. As a result of this, they spend their entire life criticizing their children for not performing up to their expectations. Likewise, the thought on how to encourage creativity in a child without experiencing stress keeps brooding through their minds.
Children at the tender stage are quick learners. Hence, it’s more beneficial to boost their creativity at such a stage. In this post, I will share 8 practical steps to foster your kid’s creativity.
Ways to Encourge Your Kids Creativity
1. Get Them Engaged in Creative Activities
Idleness and unproductive activities kill creativity in a child. Get your kids engaged in reasoning activities that enhance their intelligence quotient, encourage them to think outside the box, and do the extraordinary. These activities could include puzzle games, crambo, quantitative and verbal reasoning, camping, and treasure hunting.
It helps groom your child to view life from a broader perspective, outside the four walls of their classroom.
2. Encourage Freedom of Expression
Kids irrespective of their instant location love to live out their true selves, most especially amongst their peers. As a parent, your role in such a scenario is termed observation. Learn to study your kids while they display certain behaviours without scolding. The moment you scold that child fear of expression is inputted into his heart.
By observation, you detect what your child is keen about. Peradventure, you bumped into your child who had turned your living room in a trash bin with old papers, paints, and pencils used in drawing. Of course, I can relate to that initial annoyance to spank that child, seeing the mess the house looks like. Even at that, don’t shut that child up, allow him to express his creativity while you watch. In essence, it’s a pointer to your child’s interest.
3. Provide The Necessary Resources
When your child’s interest is known, step further by providing the needful resources to foster your child’s creativity. Are you parents who are interested in learning how to encourage creativity in a child? Then learn from Khadija’s story.
It was lunchtime, everyone was at the table except Khadija who was busy in her room. What could she be doing her mom ponders as she heads for her room. She had repeatedly called her name, but Khadija was engrossed with something no one knew about. On entering her room, she found her daughter stitching pieces of paper together to form little paper dresses and straps of her old dresses scattered around the room.
Khadija was so focused on what she was doing she didn’t notice the presence of her mom who watched her six-year-old daughter in amazement. Immediately, it dawns on her that Khadija was interested in fashion. The next day she ordered fabrics, buttons, sewing thread of different colours, and tape. Hence, she has succeeded in enhancing her daughter’s creativity in fashion by providing the needed resources.
4. Ask Questions
As a parent learn to stretch your child’s curiosity by asking them reasoning questions. Their imaginative faculty gets utilized as they think of answers to the questions asked. Usually, not related to the normal arithmetic and vocabulary studies in their school. Questions like; why is the sky blue and why do you have two eyes.
This set of questions deepen their curiosity as they attempt to provide an answer.
5. Show Interest in Their Creativity
To foster your child’s creativity, avoid criticizing their attempt to do something extraordinary. Always compliment your child whenever they did something good. For instance, your child walked up to you with a book containing a poem she had composed for you as a birthday present. Being a loving parent who is learning how to encourage creativity in a child, don’t start by highlighting the grammatical errors or spelling mistakes in her poem.
Rather, begin by complimenting her beautiful composition, showing how grateful you are, indicating your interest in her passion. Furthermore, don’t restrict your child’s creativity because it isn’t what you want for that child, neither should you pressure them into a career they don’t like.
6. Teach Them Different Methods of Solving Problems
Build your child’s creativity by instructing them on how to create an alternative course of action when faced with a challenge. This is perfectly illustrated in Ali’s story. This young teenager lost track of his mom in the market. However, he was able to locate his mom by putting a call through with the help of a trader’s cellphone.
In a nutshell, Ali would have spent hours crying in search of his mom, perhaps spending a night at the police station before being found by his parents. However, that wasn’t his story because before the incident his parents had taught him their respective phone numbers for emergencies.
7. Ensure Your Kids Achieve a Broader Knowledge
Ensure your kids acquire skills most especially soft skills which are rarely taught in normal academic settings. Acquiring more knowledge exposes them to a range of options. Also, enrol them in classes that enhance their interest. Perhaps, Your child produces Melodious sounds by skillfully hitting sticks on tables in the house. To encourage creativity enrol him in an instrumentalist school.
This is why it is important you consider several factors before choosing your kid’s school.
8. Inculcate Reading Habit in Your Kids
To encourage creativity in a child also entails reading books to gain more knowledge. Your child gets to picture what he or she reads from a book. They begin to create mental possibilities of the story plots in that book. This habit broadens their creativity.
Also, the more your child reads, they learn more about other fields of life and how things are done in different places around the world. It also helps to build their vocabulary and enhance quick understanding.
Conclusion
As a parent, learn to lead by example. It is vital when unveiling the steps on how to encourage creativity in a child. You shouldn’t expect your child to learn various methods of problem-solving when as a parent, you perform one task every day using one method. Likewise, you can’t force them to read while you watch TV shows. You should join them. Preferably allocate time for it.
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