Future of my children- In an uncertain future
Ask any parent the question - “What keeps you awake at night” and it is most likely that a majority would express concerns on - ' Future of my children'. They understandably tend to worry about their children’s mental, physical, social, emotional and financial well-being. Be it a parent-teacher meeting, social media groups or gatherings, the conversation invariably steers to the latest developments in children’s education, academic performances, the job scenario, technology trends and the necessary skills needed to make them employable in future. All this is done with the primary intention of increasing the certainty of their kids securing, sustaining and prospering in their future jobs.
Yet, if there is one thing that is certain about the future – it is that it can be quite uncertain! As Heisenberg’s famous Uncertainty Principle tells us, there is a certain fuzziness in nature and a fundamental limit to what we can know about the behavior of the smallest scales of nature. Apply this to the future of our children – we can send them to the best of schools, train them in the latest technology, provide them financial security and everything else under our control. But, we still cannot guarantee our child a smooth-sailing future. So, how can we help them face and sustain in an uncertain world defined by exponential change?
The key is to equip our children with the skills essential to optimize uncertainty. It is relatively easy to understand technological advancements in various work streams and educate children in their preferred careers. But wherever the outcomes are certain, they are driven by processes, methods and rules which a machine could quite easily do. So, clearly this would not be sufficient for children to differentiate and distinguish themselves. The focus then shifts to the uncertain element, which can only be managed by being innovative and creating a unique value proposition
And for a person to be innovative in their approach to managing their social and professional lives, they need to be cognizant emotionally, creative, flexible, adaptive, think critically, solve complex problems and be able to manage their relationships. These are skills which cannot be developed overnight and need to be honed gradually right from childhood. Some ways this can be done are:
While these and other relevant skills do not guarantee to remove future uncertainty, they certainly can help create an individual who is better positioned to navigate their way through to social, financial, emotional and mental well-being!
Written byVijaya Das
Vijaya is a People Analytics professional with a passion for writing. She loves to explore the special in the normal and takes inspiration from seemingly everyday events. A rationalist by nature, she is also highly enthused by travel, movies and mythology.
So inspired by your words. Everyday I decide that I shall work towards a fitter me but alas not happening,hopefully I can take the plunge soon. Thank you for the inspiration
Engrossing, heartfelt and inspiring till the end
Nice work done by young students! Thoughts are indeed provoking and thoughtful
Well done young students. I must say , nice work done . The thoughts are indeed provoking and informative ....
A rare girl.I love and appreciate