Being a parent is by far the most complex and challenging
job in the world. Parents are not only providing for their children, but they
are also setting examples and foundations for their children’s future. One of
the most important things in the world today is education, but school isn’t
something that a lot of kids really enjoy. Studying very quickly becomes a
chore, and children would much rather relax outside or watch video games than
learn. If you’re hoping to raise a child who finds learning not only not-boring
but genuinely fun, you’ve come to the right place.
Suppose your child is a teenager frustrated with school and
preoccupied with social media. In that case, you’ll have a hard time inspiring
them to study. You can never start early enough – babies and toddlers learn
simply by being with you and looking at the world. Nurture and encourage their
intense curiosity by sharing their wonder with them and getting just as
thrilled with them over something seemingly simple like stacking blocks
together. If they love cars, learn about different models. If they love
spiders, watch how they are making webs. If they are in love with making noise,
introduce simple music instruments (but not too many, you don’t want a
migraine). Always talk to your kid, try to help them connect the dots, and
encourage them to ask a million questions, even if you’re not always in the
mood to answer.
We already mentioned how important it is to cultivate
curiosity in kids, and the same effort should be put into reading. While
reading to babies and even toddlers might seem futile, children grow up
learning that reading is a pleasant activity that they love. It’s only a small
and easy step from this stage to them reading
on their own. Surrounding your child with books is also a great way to
motivate them to read more, but you don’t have to turn your home into a library.
Encyclopedias, comics, newspapers, and magazines are all welcome, and the
variety will intrigue your child and encourage them to try reading different
things.
While showing your kids how much you care about different
things going on around you, you should also show them that you like to learn
too. Never forget that children look up to their parents and that you are going
to be their first role model, so always try to set a positive example. We are
used to Googling things, but it’s way more fun to try to find the answers the
old-fashioned way. Dive into a book, call a friend, dig a bit in search of an
old issue of a newspaper that you’re sure contains the answer… Talk to your kid
while you’re doing this, explain what you’re doing, and show them that research
and learning is something grown-ups do as well.
While some parents like to wait for their children to grow
up a bit before introducing them to any kind of formal education, others choose
to enroll them in pre-kindergarten programs and activities. Luckily for
parents, there are various programs available that are meant to introduce
formal education to the child slowly. What is more, child care programs are setting the
foundations for your child to grow up with intense curiosity and a love of
learning. In such programs, children meet their peers, learn about friendship,
cooperation, and sharing, and most importantly, they learn that learning can be
really fun.
As a parent, you are probably flooded with questions from
your kids every minute of every day. Why don’t you try turning the tables a bit
and asking them something every now and then? You can use this to focus their
attention on something (Why do you think birds in the backyard always come to
this specific spot), but you can also encourage them to think (I’m not sure,
why do you think the
leaves make noise when it’s windy?) This will spark the conversation between
you and spark their curiosity too. Still, you don’t want to turn their entire
life into a pop quiz and to have them spend every minute of being with you
answering obvious questions.
There is one thing all highly motivated children have in
common – their parents aren’t micromanaging or pressuring them. It’s easy to
fall into this trap when you recognize that your child has potential, you want
to push them further and encourage them to work hard, but the pressure often
backfires and causes the opposite effect. Children begin to understand that
learning is something they have to
do to make the parents happy and quickly lose interest. So if you see your
child making mistakes, don’t swoop in to
do it for them while explaining they’re wrong. Instead, try to gently guide
them and encourage them to try a different approach while still being
supportive.
You probably know
that there are a lot of different learning styles and before you ask them to go
to their room and study, try to identify the style that works best for them.
When they see success, children start showing more interest and curiosity, and
you can use this to encourage them further. Once they figure something out on
their own, their eyes will light up; they will start asking more meaningful
questions and start making connections on their own. Gathering and processing information
is not a simple feat, and people do it in different ways, so encourage your
child to try out different things while they’re still young. If they don’t
remember things that well while they’re listening, encourage them to read and
write more, have them walk around while talking loudly to themselves, or have
them draw and doodle.
Hearing your
child get all excited over learning something new or figuring something on
their own can make you feel like you’re on top of the world. While schools love
to focus on only one type of learning, children are all different, and many of
them will thrive when given a chance to learn something in a new way. One of
the most important things that you as a parent should teach your child is that
learning comes in many shapes and forms and encourages your child to explore the
world at their own pace.
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