When Should We Teach Children to Become Entrepreneurs?

At what age should we begin teaching children the skills they need to become entrepreneurs? When should we start showing them how to bring their ideas to life, present their creations confidently, and believe that their work has real value — value that others would be willing to pay for?

Imagine this: a nine-year-old boy makes a collection of unique paper airplanes. Proud of his creations, he shows them to his friends and offers two choices: "You can either learn how to make one from me for 5 rupees or simply buy one for 3 rupees."

Now, pause and think. Would you call this child greedy? Or would you applaud him for his creativity, his confidence, and his early spirit of entrepreneurship?

Sadly, in many of our societies, education is often portrayed in such a rigid and frightening way that children lose their natural enthusiasm for learning. Instead of nurturing their talents, we sometimes end up crushing their creativity. As children grow older and finally reach an age where they are capable of earning, they are often so disillusioned with traditional education that they are ready to leave it behind entirely.

Parents, driven by fear that their children might abandon school, discourage them from exploring anything related to business or entrepreneurship. They push them to focus only on their studies, believing this is the safest path to success.

As a result, a large number of young people spend the first 20 to 25 years of their lives only studying. When they finally complete their education, they step into the real world with a degree in hand — and immediately start searching for a job.

During this long journey, the precious curiosity, dreams, and entrepreneurial instincts they had as children — especially between the ages of 10 and 15 — are often lost, buried under years of rigid schooling and societal pressure.

The truth is, it’s very natural for children around the age of nine or ten to develop a desire to earn. At that age, it’s not just about making money — it’s about expressing creativity, testing ideas, and learning important life skills.

As parents, it is important to carefully observe the intentions behind their child’s interest. If the child is simply curious, creative, and eager to try out new ideas, then it is the perfect opportunity to guide them. We should gently start introducing them to the basics of entrepreneurship, allowing them to explore and learn in a supportive environment.

In our culture, the word "greedy" is unfortunately used far too often and far too easily. So much so that the important difference between being "greedy" and being "hardworking" has almost disappeared.

Take a look around: how much talent have we wasted simply because we misunderstood or discouraged it?

Compare this to many countries abroad, where if a young person is working part-time at a gas station or in a store, they are praised for being hardworking and responsible. But in our communities, if a teenager expresses the desire to work, we often respond with strange arguments:

"What will people say?"

"Your father is still alive; why do you need to work?"

"Just focus on your studies."

"Don’t get involved in worldly matters."

"Money isn’t everything."

Of course, money isn’t everything — but learning how the world works, gaining independence, building confidence, and managing finances are valuable lessons that no school textbook can fully teach. These skills come from experience, from trying, from failing, and from growing.

Why can’t education and business go hand in hand?

Why must they be two separate paths?

Ask any successful businessperson, and you’ll find that many of them started learning the basics of business very early in life — sometimes without even realizing it.

Those who come from business families will tell you: learning, trying, and experiencing business from a young age can be just as important as formal education, if not more.

So now the question is: Should we continue raising our children to study hard, only to eventually work under someone else? Should we only prepare them to help build other people's dreams?

Or should we also encourage them to build something of their own — something that grows alongside their education, something they can be proud of?

The choice is ours to make.