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ENCOURAGE SELF LEARNING
Self learning stops when we start treating them as weak - incompetent or any less than us. If a parent gives the right activity at the appropriate age, most of the children can complete their task. This sense of achievement gives them confidence which eventually leads to the path of self learning and self believing. Like, once the child learns to read, it's not a great idea to read it to them. Instead, choose a reading level which is of suitable age, break down the word syllable by syllable, if needed let them underline the word which the child is not able to read at all. But in any case, do not make a habit to read out a book to your child. Same way, let them eat their own meal. If the meal is sounding too daunting, start with finger snacks and gradually move onto meals. Children should be encouraged to eat and not to be picky. One good way is adults should never criticise the food in terms of taste etc in front of the young ones. Often grown up does it and the child imbibes it very quickly. Parents need to have patience and not show their frustration to the children. Yes, things will change for the better. Trust me! -
STOP SPOON FEEDING
Parents do not need to always hold their children’s hands. Let them fall once in a while provided it is not bone breaking or life threatening. After all, when they will grow up you won’t be there for everything. Let them fight their own battle. Let them lose but let them do it themselves. As a parent, tell your child what is the right way to do it. It could be preparing for their school exam, soccer game or an argument over a toy with the neighbourhood friends. You may feel bad if they lose, but when they come home, tell your child that you are proud of him / her. -
APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE
In continuation of the earlier point, I would like to say that appreciate your child for the honest efforts taken, not necessarily focussing only on the outcome. We all know that life is a journey, it should be filled with experiences. Wisdom comes with experiences when one goes through it. If your child is taking interest in maths or trying to learn a new language, we as an adult need to encourage the effort. The words of encouragement will make the child feel empowered and a positive attitude, to try new things without thinking about the result. We as responsible adults will be able to shape the mind of our future generation.
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DEVELOP LOGICAL THINKING
Encourage a PROBLEM SOLVING attitude in the child. A 2 year old can be given a task to differentiate between blue and red buttons. Likewise, a 4 years old can be given a bag of flowers and a bag of small stones. Let them understand which one is heavier and which one is lighter in terms of weight. Another way can be to encourage them to ask questions on varied topics - about the moon, a wiggly worm or about how the water comes to the kitchen tap. As an adult, we should answer their questions with patience. None of the questions are silly. At the same time, I would say, do not be too eager to answer all of their questions. Ask them what they think? What can be the answer? It helps in critical thinking, which is good for them. Alternatively, you can also ask ‘Why’ questions. Like, why do you think airplanes can fly and we cannot or half cut apples turns brown after sometime. Let them enjoy the thinking game even if the answers are completely absurd, meaningless and out of the imaginary world. Let them think, eventually it will be a great exercise for development of critical thinking. -
FIVE BASIC QUALITIES - DISCIPLINE, PUNCTUALITY, TRUTHFULNESS, EMPATHY & BEING FAIR
When we are talking about shaping up the mind of future generation, the basic qualities of being human should not be overlooked. It should be practiced rather than being preached. It all begins with the adults first. Those tiny pairs of innocent clean slate eyes are observing us, our every move, the way we react, the way we are speaking among ourselves, the faith we believe in and everything else. All those are getting captured in the mind camera of the child. Even if we are going for a fun party or a family dinner, keeping a tab of time is essential. It’s simple if you want to see it in your next generation, be a living example first, not for a day - not for a year but for your whole life. Even if you don't teach them, your children will do the same when they face the same situation. Research and experts have proved this time and again. One example here I want to share, we as a family by principle do not waste food, especially the one taken on our plate. My little one does the same thing.
Let’s all keep practicing! We will be able to shape the mind of our children and the generation to come. Stay curious! Practice cuizus!
