VIDEO GAMES FOR GROWING MINDS
They’re Not Just for Entertainment
Video games spark creativity. It’s essential that children have a creative outlet to focus on as they grow up. While some kids get this from writing stories or drawing, others can showcase their creativity and grow their skills by playing video games. Take “Minecraft” for example. “Minecraft” gives kids an opportunity to create their own world. They can build castles, create roller coasters, and do just about anything they put their mind to, thus enhancing their creative skills. Kids can improve relationship-building and leadership skills. Some games require kids to play on teams. Consequently, they can make new friends and bond over similar interests. Additionally, when kids play together, they have a chance to practice their leadership skills and lead their team to victory. Sports games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) like “World of Warcraft” are great for teaching these skills. Be cautious if your kid is playing online with others, though. There’s no telling whom they’re playing with, so make sure they’re an appropriate age before introducing online multiplayer games.
Video games often get a bad rap. Many view them as time-wasters with nothing beneficial to offer, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many benefits can be gained from playing video games, especially for children. Although positives exist, pay attention to what you buy or rent for kids, as benefits vary depending on the type and age appropriateness of the games. Also, limit the time your kids spend playing video games, as too much screen time can be detrimental to their behavior and attention span. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests allotting 30–60 minutes daily on school days and two hours or less on non-school days. If they stay within this range, you’ll quickly notice your children gaining some of the following benefits from playing video games. They learn how to problem-solve. Most video games feature puzzles and situations that require critical thinking to overcome. Players must often try different approaches to solve a puzzle before moving on to the next part of their game. They’re learning how to make their own decisions to accomplish goals. “The Legend of Zelda” games excel in this area.
6 QUESTIONS EVERY BUSINESS OWNER MUST CONSIDER How to Pick the Right Succession Plan
If you are a business owner or work with entrepreneurs regularly, you probably understand the phrase “my business is my baby.” When you feel fully invested in a company, it can be hard to even think about succession planning and letting your business “grow up.” However, just as children must learn to succeed without their parents, businesses must prepare for the day their owners retire! When you feel ready to plan for the future — or help your clients do so — consider these six questions as a starting point. (In these questions, “you” refers to the business owner.) 1. Are you healthy, active, and excited to keep working, or are you planning to retire soon? 2. Would you rather step away from the company completely or stay involved for the next 5–10 years on a progressively smaller scale? 3. Do you want to transition your company to family or employees, or would you rather sell it to an outsider? 4. If you want to pass your company to your family, do you have at least one child or relative interested in stepping into your role? 5. Do you need to diversify your personal financial statement, or would you be content without extra liquidity? 6. Do you view your company as simply a job, or as a legacy you can hand down to your employees and community?
These are just a few of the questions our team here at Eagle & Fein asks business owners while assessing their succession planning needs. By asking these questions and others, we can determine whether a given business owner would benefit from
passing their business on to family through an estate plan, passing it to family via a sale, selling it to an outsider, or launching a full or partial employer stock ownership plan (ESOP), among other options. Considering these questions will give you a head start on the succession planning process. Then, you or one of your clients will be inspired to plan for a successful business transition.
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