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Have you discovered your child’s unique ability?

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Every child is born with at least a talent and a unique ability to solve the problems in society. But if he or she is not helped to spot or discover, develop and deploy his or her talent, the child will continue to struggle in an area he or she is not wired and designed for, says child psychologist ThankGod Ocheho.

The day a child was born there is an expectation from parents about the career path the child must follow. Some parents start to prepare the child to do professions that are popular, marketable and have prestige such as Medicine, Law, Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Pilot, etc.

They act and make statements that programme the child to see these professions as the best while other professions are not cherished. So they ignorantly position their children to function in the wrong space because they are preparing them to do something they do not love, which makes them struggle and live unfulfilled lives.

Ocheho stressed that the school system helps to further deepen and consolidate this thinking by putting up structure and system that programme students to struggle. “First, schools organise programmes that require students to wear costumes of certain professions. When you look at the professions you would realise that they are professions well known and celebrated within society.

“Few professions are explored while so many others are neglected. So the child grows up to value certain professions and neglect others even if they are born to function in the profession not recognised by the school system. Also, teachers tell children in the classroom to become a lawyer or medical doctor without recognising the unique ability of each child.

“Additionally, students are conditioned to focus on certain professions through the posters in the classroom. For instance, you enter into a particular classroom and most of what you see on the wall are posters of common professions. So we expose them to a few professions and limit their potential.”

He, therefore, noted that parents and teachers need to stop measuring only one type of intelligence. “Howard Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences and postulates that there are auditory learners, kinaesthetic learners, people who learn through stories and so on. According to Prince Ea, children have different gifts and strengths but to create a system where only one measurement of intelligence is preferred is not only absurd but sacrifices the God-given abilities of every child.

“There seems to be no room in the family and school systems for the most important question in a child’s mind, which is, what am I good at? We need to start focusing on creating an environment where every child thrives.

“There is greatness in every legitimate profession. Let’s start encouraging children to explore their talents and take up professions that align with their gifting. Let’s encourage them to nurture their talent and deploy for the benefit of society. There was a time when software development was not marketable, but someone like Bill Gates transformed the industry and it is cherished today.”

Ocheho added that while one of his students struggled to graduate in Psychology, he was very good and talented in playing football. Such student was said to be weak because he didn’t do well in Psychology. “The reality is that he is not weak, he was only positioned to do the wrong course. There are no weak children. We have inflexible parents and teachers. When you judge a fish by its inability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”

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