T.M. Kayode

A while back, I wrote a blog post called “What Can You Teach Your Children?” (If you haven’t read it yet, you can catch up here). Well, since then, I’ve been reflecting on my own skills and thinking about what I could intentionally pass on to my daughter, Dabbie.

Now, let me be real with you—I absolutely sulk at anything sport-related. I don’t like watching sports, unless we’re talking about a good biography on athletes who’ve achieved amazing feats. That, I can watch all day. But actually engaging in sports? Not my thing. I know, I know—being active is important, and trust me, I’ve already made plans to step up my physical activity… starting mid-2025. (Hey, a future goal is still a goal, right?)

But I digress.

Thinking about the skills I do have, and observing Dabbie’s natural abilities, I’ve decided to focus on teaching her two things: public speaking and writing.

Why Public Speaking?

Dabbie is bold—this girl has opinions and she’s not afraid to share them. And I love that about her. I’d like to nurture that boldness and help her become a confident speaker as she grows. I believe public speaking is an invaluable skill, one that can set her up for success in so many areas of life.

My plan? To ease her into it gently. We’ll start by encouraging her to give little presentations at home on whatever she’s working on—whether it’s a craft project, a favorite toy, or a story she’s made up. My husband and I will be her audience, and once she’s comfortable, we’ll start expanding that circle to include a few more people, maybe at our home fellowship.

For now, at her age, I’ll focus on the basics—things like proper stance, posture, and helping her organize her thoughts in a simple, storytelling format. I want it to be fun, not a chore, so we’ll keep it light and playful. (If anyone has ideas for making public speaking more engaging for a 4-year-old, I’m all ears!)

Why Writing?

Writing is something I’m passionate about, and I think it’ll be a great way to help Dabbie express her creativity. Right now, she’s super into drawing—people, landscapes, etc. So, I thought, why not combine that with storytelling?

My plan is to help her organize her artwork into a little story format. Maybe we’ll even work on creating her own book for her 5th birthday. #FingersCrossed. I think it could be a fun project for both of us, and who knows—maybe we’ll have a budding author on our hands. I’ve already noticed improvements in her drawings, so I’m excited to see what stories we can create together.

So, that’s the plan for now. As parents, we’re always learning as we go, right? I’m sure there’ll be plenty of adjustments and new ideas along the way, but for now, I’m excited to focus on these two areas with her.

What skills are you intentionally passing on to your kids? Or if you don’t have kids, what’s something you wish someone had taught you when you were younger? Let’s chat in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time,
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!