TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO FISH- Don't just give them fish

Ade's fist catch. 

The Wilmot House Before

When  my son was six years old, I taught him how to fish.

When he caught his first fish, it was bigger than any fish I ever caught. That is life. We always want out children to go to greater heights than we have been. Now that my son is twenty years old, I am teaching him how to catch even bigger fish.


So far, he is on his third house rehab project. This is an opportunity that very few children get with their parents. Every time I look at my son, I just remember my dad's words to me since I was a little boy. "I will see you to where you have no fear of man" That meant, I will give you the support, the education, and the means to stand on your own once you become of age.

I think every father or mother owes it to their child, boy or girl, to see them through where they have no fear of man, except God.  Last week, at 8pm, I told my eleven year old daughter that we needed go to one of the properties I just bought. She did not understand why. So I explained it to her. I said, Pumpkin, (my pet name for my daughter Kemi) you have to know where the money comes from. I just got this house, the grass is all dry there, I need to water it at night so that the water can soak in the ground before the sun comes out the next day.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure that I can bring my children into my world and prepare them for the future that goes beyond regular schooling. Yes, everyone needs an education, but being an entrepreneur is a skill and a passion that comes with some form of indoctrination. I learned it from my mom and dad.

The Wilmot House After

I remember when I had to wake up at 5am and walk with my dad to his business office while carrying his briefcase at age ten. I remember when I had to walk a few miles with my uncle every month when I was twelve to collect rent from my dad's tenants.

I remember those days I had to wake up at 5am every Saturday when I was only eight years old to follow my mom to the market to sell her goods. We usually catch two or three buses with heavy loads hauled between bus stations to get to the market. We usually don't get back home till 6 or 7pm at night.

That is 12 hours straight of me standing in front of my mom's stall trying to persuade everyone that passes by to buy my mom's  fabrics compared to the marketer in the next stall.

That is where I honed my entrepreneurial skills. It is now ingrained in me and I owe it to my children to give them the same skills.

Whether they use it or  not, does not matter. But I must give them the skill. What they do with it is left to them.

As parents, it's our duty to pass on to our children any skill that can help them survive and or thrive in the future.

So I am glad my son is very enthusiastic about my real estate business.

As to Pumpkin, she does not know yet. She said to me the other day, "I don't like the Wilmot house. I asked her why and she said, "it's only one story dad, if you buy a two story, you can sell it for more".  At least she is starting to relate in terms of space and volume. Two stories, twice as much money. Way to go Pumpkin. So now I am looking for a two story house so Pumpkin can run up and down and imagine twice the return.

My message here is that what ever you do, you should try to get you children involved or at least introduce them to how things work.

How they relate and what they can expect as they move into adulthood.

Pumpkin at the Wilmot House

I am proud of what my son has achieved in the last four months handling three real estate flips. Most veteran investors don't even get a chance to do a flip in their first three years, let alone three in four months.

For that I am grateful and thankful that I am fulfilling
my role as a dad. I hope every father or mother out there can do the same for their children. Here are some of the flips my son recently worked on.. Before and after...