Positioning Our Children for the Workforce: The Real ROI of Intentional Parenting

Over the last few weeks, as our nation has maneuvered an internal battle, causing every American to be left in limbo, I’ve been asked the same question over and over. I think this question has been especially relevant to parents here in the DMV, as the federal government is the largest employer in our area, followed by the fact that almost everyone else is a federal contractor. I expected that my Saturday morning inbox and DMs would follow the same pattern they have every morning for last 40 some days. I wasn’t expecting parents to attend a DevFest and track me down for a one-on-one conversation. What I realized is that the concern about their children’s futures, their confidence, how to give them a competitive edge- is weighing more on their minds not that the goverment may not be the most viable option for them after graduation. Every time, I answer as best I can. But I want to go deeper, to give context, because the truth is rarely simple.

We all dream of leaders and politicians shaping a better world for our children: a stronger economy, higher salaries, greater opportunities. But the reality is that the most important work begins not in a government office or a corporate boardroom, but in our homes. Parents carry the responsibility - and the power - to prepare their children for the world they will inherit.

I look at children in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, and I see how far ahead many of them are by their teenage years. And when they come to America, they often surpass their peers quickly because they’ve been given the tools, the discipline, and the mindset to see opportunity, to seize it, and to grow from it. That is ROI. That is the investment you make in your child’s future - not for your own pride or ego, but because you recognize their potential and want to give them the space to realize it.

Parenting is, without question, the hardest position you will ever hold. Mum and Dad will be the highest-ranking roles you earn in your lifetime. The hours are endless, the frustrations immense, and the investment unparalleled. But it is also the most rewarding position you will ever have. There is no job that gives you as much joy in the same moment it gives you heartbreak.

My dad told me when I shared the news of my youngest

child, “Every time you tell me I’m going to be a Pop Pop again, I’m flooded with excitement to meet this new person I will love as much as I love their mother. At the same time, I’m filled with sorrow and worry - for the pain you will endure, for the risks, for the ‘what if something happens to you.’” That is parenting. That is the truest ROI we will ever experience: a life-changing, identity-shaping, soul-deep investment.

I know many people judge the way my partner and I raise our children. And we don’t care. Because the results speak for themselves - not only in accolades, but in the confidence, initiative, and curiosity our children demonstrate every day.

Bragging Moment

My oldest daughter began her first two business at the age of 9, seeing opportunity where others saw trash - fixing a discarded red cart and selling what she could. When her elementary school shut down her “art business,” she moved it online, adapting without losing momentum. By fourteen, she was assisting architects in incorporating visual aesthetics and other graphic elements. At fifteen, she helped me design artistic portfolios for corporate clients. Today, she is finishing her final semester in an advanced Chinese program sponsored by the NSA and has helped organize events that bring people together to share knowledge and innovation. And she walks into her spaces as herself - independent, confident, and capable - because she knows the success she has is hers alone. In fact I am not allowed to tell anyone she is my daughter! (Secret at 19 she helped organize a DevFest).

My sixteen-year-old has maintained Gold Honor Roll throughout high school, thriving in Gifted and Talented classes, earning college credits and excelling in Chinese, maintaining a 4.0, and learning to manage his own academic path while knowing he has a parent to support him when needed.

My ten-year-old thrives in two tech clubs, plays violin, attends Chinese school on weekends, and consistently challenges herself academically. My six-year-old, already immersed in Chinese school, meets every challenge with determination. And my three-year-old, soaking in everything around her, benefits from the guidance and example of her older siblings.

People often ask, “When do they get to be kids?” And my answer is simple: They are kids every day. We just gave them the space to be more. To explore, to create, to fail, to succeed.

I never pushed my oldest to design; I tried to steer her away because I knew the road would be difficult. But it was her passion, and when she wanted to grow, we gave her the ability and support to do so safely and meaningfully. Autonomy and guidance walk hand in hand. Respecting their choices while leveling the playing field for them when necessary is how we prepare them - not just for school, but for life, for work, for the world.

Future-proofing a child’s career doesn’t begin in high school or college. It begins the day they are born: in the choices we make as parents, the values we instill, the opportunities we provide, and the lessons we model. If you want to change the workforce, don’t look at executives. Look at yourself. Don’t ask how to reshape the world to fit your child - ask how to raise your child so they can stand out, not as a follower, but as a confident, capable, assertive individual.

At DevFest yesterday, many mothers approached me about their daughters, asking how do we position our children for the workforce, when the world

isn’t always equitable. As a woman and a mother of four girls, I understand the fears and hopes - the pressure to provide every opportunity and the desire to see them confident, competent, and proud. Don't wait until they are looking for their first job to prepare your child, do it at every stage along the way. This is the best advice I can give as a mother, employee, business owner, and independent thinker.

We are raising the future, one intentional choice at a time. One moment of guidance, one space of independence, one encouragement, one lesson in responsibility. We are shaping adults who will walk into the world head high, confident, and capable - not because someone handed them opportunity, but because we gave them the tools to seize it.

And there is no ROI greater than that.

These our my family photos, I am sharing them with you - insight on how I am doin that for my children, but I also want you to understand why this issue is so important to me, for me no one has more stake in this game than I do, but I can't change the game. However, the rules aren't set, only the norm.

If this message resonated with you, I’m opening a small, guided workshop for parents who want to future-proof their children with confidence, skills, and purpose early.