Vision for Who They'll Become

The most effective parents are visionaries.

Let me tell you about Tom. As a young boy, he developed a hearing problem. It caused him a lot of trouble at school. Tom’s mind constantly wandered, making him disruptive in class, which frustrated his teachers. They considered him “stupid, restless, and a slow learner who asked too many questions.” All in all, his public education was a complete failure.

If that were your son, I’m sure you’d be concerned. But would you give up hope? Would your child’s deep struggles in the moment paralyze you from helping him move forward? Or would you see your child for who he or she could become?

Let me finish Tom’s story. His mother removed him from school and taught him herself. Despite his learning struggles – or maybe because of them – Tom turned his habit of asking questions into discovery. By the time he died at 84, Tom had hundreds of inventions to his name, like the phonograph and the electric light bulb. That’s right, the “stupid and slow learner” was none other than Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in history.

If your kids have hit a rough patch, don’t lose hope in who they are. Get a vision for who they can become.