5 Tips that Can Lead Your Kids to Their Own American Dream
Ever been to the Island of Burano?
You can find it in Italy. It’s situated in the Venetian Lagoon among 30+ other small islands. Burano is unique, though, known for its exquisite lace. I’m not a big lace person, but the 500 years’ worth of dedication to this art form is impressive, to say the least.
Most interesting to me was how some of the most valuable pieces were created. My mom and dad brought back this account after they visited. Apparently, there were seven distinct stitches used by early lacemakers to craft these masterpieces. Each unique stitch was mastered by a different woman in the community. Every piece in progress was passed from person to person until each had added her specialty stitch. It was a slow, painstaking process that yielded intricate designs you’ll never see anywhere else.
So, what could this possibly have to do with your family and the American dream?
To me, it illustrates beautifully a much larger point – that each person has their own “stitch” to add to our world. All are vital, from the housewife to the speechwriter, the physician, and the welder. Without the window installer, animator, landscape architect, and inventor, our nation couldn’t be what it is.
The American Dream is more than a dollar figure. It is an artful creation, woven from ingenuity, hard work, patriotism, and passion. It is fulfillment in career and calling, finding the perfect place where a young person can serve, grow, and thrive. And, yes, create wealth for themselves and their family. Here are five tips that can lead your kids to their own American dream.
1. Find Your Path (And Don’t Compare Yourself to Others)
Consider this list of American millionaires and billionaires:
Steve Jobs – Co-founder, Apple, Inc.
Walt Disney – Founder, Disney
Dave Thomas – Founder, Wendy’s
John Mackey – Founder, Whole Foods
Bill Gates – Co-founder, Microsoft
Rachel Ray – TV personality, chef, entrepreneur
Michael Dell – Founder, Dell Technologies
Henry Ford – Founder, Ford Motor Companies
To reach that pinnacle, step one is simple: Skip college.
That’s right, this list and dozens more of the most wildly successful Americans did it all without a degree. If these had chosen college, it might’ve stunted or stopped their rise to business stardom.
Is your child destined for an Ivy League education?
Should they be?
For many decades, the American education system and culture have actively promoted the idea of college as the primary path to a successful future. The list above proves otherwise.
Encourage your teen to dream and discover their own path. Urge them not to measure themselves by what others choose for the future. Will they choose college? Fine. Is it working from dishwasher to manager with the dream of someday opening their own business? That can be a recipe for success. What about becoming a journeyman electrician and taking home a $68 – 80K salary? Some seasoned electricians earn even more. There’s a lot to consider, and many paths open to our kids.
We’re not anti-college. Many of us here at Moms for America hold degrees ourselves. If your child dreams of becoming a surgeon, a biological engineer, a lawyer, or a scientist – the route to those careers passes necessarily through a college classroom. Consider that list above once again, and remember that most of these achieved unthinkable wealth and influence through down and dirty, hard work, and tenacity.
Mike Rowe (TV producer & host, mikeroweWORKS Foundation) has become an outspoken advocate for the trades. Though he earned a degree in communication himself, through his longtime association with the blue-collar career paths profiled on his hit TV show, Dirty Jobs, he has become a vocal and powerful advocate for the trades. He’s our guest on this week’s podcast, sharing about the ripe and lucrative job market for those willing to learn and master a skill.
2. Don’t Be Afraid of Work
Did you see the movie The Ultimate Gift? As the story goes, young, rich, and spoiled, Jason Stevens’ life is changed by 12 “gifts” left to him by his wealthy grandfather. They were more like challenges or tasks to shake him from his affluent complacency. The first was the “gift of work.” Doing the first-ever physical labor of his privileged life brought Jason to his knees and, with the other gifts, transformed him. (If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?)
Society has stigmatized those who choose technical or trade apprenticeships over a four-year college for too long. Things are beginning to change. So many careers no longer require a degree and many never did. Choosing a career in the trades can be a lucrative and lasting path to career satisfaction and financial success. And it doesn’t require $100K in school loans!
The range is broad, and opportunities are plentiful. The mass exit of workers from the trade (through retirement and other reasons) has exploded the need for motivated individuals. Here are a few ideas:
Before going further, note below that salaries can vary wildly. This is just a general snapshot. Also, as you scan this, remember that “average” or “median” does not mean entry-level. Achieving and exceeding the average will require time, effort, and commitment.
Certified Associate Constructor careers (Entry level $55K, Experienced 70-82K)
Plumbers (Average to high salary $60-100K)
Electricians (Average to high salary $60-100K)
Heating & Air Specialists. (Average to high salary $57-77K)
Extermination (Average to high salary $43-60K)
Real Estate (Average commission earnings $85K – upper end can reach a million plus)
Elevator Technician (Median salary $66 – 99K)
Power Plant Operator (Median to high salary $100-132K)
Building Inspector (Average to high salary $65 – 92K)
Railroad Worker – varies by position (Median to high salary $73-92K)
Auto Mechanic (Average to high salary $54-74K)
Aircraft Mechanic (Average salary to high salary $75-114K)
Steel Worker (Average to high salary $49-70K)
Journeyman Welder (Average to high salary $50-100K)
Exterminator (Average to high salary $44-58K)
Tattoo Artist (Average to high salary $60-97K)
Those are just a few ideas to noodle. There is something to be said about no college loans or countless hours sitting in a classroom.
3. Learn Financial Responsibility
No matter which path your kids travel, their understanding of finances will decide whether they keep and increase their money or lose it due to poor decision-making, lack of healthy expectations, and boundaries.
I like Ramsey Solutions 1 as a practical, robust source for becoming financially savvy. Dave Ramsey always likened his advice to “grandma’s.” Still, his methods have repeatedly saved families and individuals from ruin. Some “get rich” methods promise wealth, but Ramsey’s is pretty simple, though radically different from the “normal” American debt lifestyle. He conducted one of the most extensive studies of millionaires in America, and his findings about how they attained their wealth align closely with Ramsey’s own advice.
Others are out there, like Crown Financial 2, or maybe you prefer to offer your own sage advice to your offspring. My husband and I have shared plenty with our daughters about the knowledge we’ve gained from too many painful financial mistakes.
Whichever route you take – ensure your young adults know how to earn, keep, and grow their wealth.
4. Climb That Mountain
Many in my generation thought they should have what their parents had quickly – ignoring the slow and steady build of a thriving family, financial portfolio, and career. The debt accrued was unforgiving and a harsh teacher.
Instead, instill the ideas of hard work, determination, patience, and persistence in your children so they know the mountain is high but worth the climb.
Never give up. Keep going. Working extra hours or maybe just working smarter with tenacity will pay off.
I recently saw a post on Facebook with Mike Rowe sharing an account of some folks he met on a flight. Clay, a 20-year-old he spoke with, is the general manager of Jersey Mike’s in Attleboro, Massachusetts. How did he reach that position at such a tender age? Clay began making subs there at 16, then became shift leader and later assistant manager. Now, as GM, he has his sights set on his own franchise, “Before I’m 25. God willing.”
Atta boy! That’s how it’s done, mamas.
5. Build a Solid Spiritual Foundation
Don’t go it alone in a career or any aspect of life. Give your kids a strong spiritual foundation before they fly the nest.
Attend church as a family. Pray together. Learn the rich lessons of the Bible with your kids.
By modeling it in your life, show them what it means to lean into God’s strength when things are tough. You know firsthand – it will get hard. People turn to many different things. Alcohol, drugs, overwork, gaming, and other vices to soothe the moment. The problem is they aren’t solutions, nor do they touch the heart of the issue.
We are weak. God is strong. He is available to walk with us (and your young adults) through the joys of achievement, the pain of hardship or disappointment, and our need for forgiveness. I love Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
As you help your kids through the seasons leading to adulthood, mamas, prepare them for the many possibilities they could pursue. Help them discover their passion, their gifts, and their calling. In doing so, you are preparing them to add their intricate and needed “stitch” to the work of art that is our beautiful United States of America. Each young American is prized and filled with possibility and purpose. They were created for a destiny that God knows – and America needs.
1 Ramsey Solutions
2 Crown Financial
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