Empowering Your Child in 2023
Parenting is hard. Even the most confident adults can become overwhelmed with self-doubt when placed in charge of the well-being of tiny humans. They question every choice they make, wondering if it’s the right one.
Giving children independence and encouraging them to explore and learn can be one of the scariest parts of parenting. Children are going to encounter struggles along their journeys. As parents, the best thing to do is find effective ways to empower your child to help them build the confidence they need to succeed.
Here are some practical ways parents can empower their children in 2023.
Strategy #1 – Be an active listener
Human beings are hard-wired to seek out those who listen. Feeling seen and heard are fundamental to an adult’s health and well-being. Children are no different. When they have concerns or a problem, they want parents to listen before they spout potential solutions.
Once your child has shared their concerns uninterrupted, you can further prove you’re an active listener by:
- Recounting the information your child has provided so they know you understand their concerns.
- Validating their feelings about the information they’ve shared.
- Prompting them with open-ended questions that help them come up with a solution so they can take ownership of the problem.
- Provide choices if the child is unable to come up with any solutions on their own.
Strategy #2 – Build confidence with age-appropriate tasks
Children are independent little people. They want to control what happens around them and be responsible for coming up with their own solutions to problems. Allowing some autonomy builds confidence and
self-esteem, which leads to success in all aspects of life.
Some of the age-appropriate tasks most preschoolers can handle include:
- Choosing their clothes and getting dressed for the day
- Cleaning up their rooms and putting things away when finished
- Making their beds
- Preparing certain foods and snacks
Strategy #3 – Let them struggle
The hardest part of being a parent can be watching your children struggle. It can be tempting to step in every time they experience the smallest sign of trouble. However, the danger in always leaping to their rescue is they never learn persistence and problem-solving abilities.
Letting children learn through trial and error might not always be pretty to watch, but it’s an effective way to help them grow emotionally.
There are some exceptions that dictate when parents should step in. They include:
- A safety concern
- A task that is not age appropriate
- A skill that must be learned before a task can be completed
Parents also should encourage their children to know when to ask for help.
Strategy #4 – Teach problem-solving skills
One of the most effective ways parents can empower their children in 2023 is to teach them the problem-solving skills they’ll need to succeed in life. Young children need to have a simple process that doesn’t involve too many steps. They’ll be more likely to use it if they can remember it.
An example of a technique that works requires children to ask themselves 5 key questions:
- What am I feeling right now?
- What is the problem?
- What are possible solutions?
- What would happen if I tried (insert solution here)?
- What will I try next if my first option doesn’t work?
Working their way through this 5-step process teaches children the art of problem-solving.
Choose childcare that empowers children
Creative Childcare uses a play-based learning model that fosters creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Children are encouraged to build self-confidence while exploring the world around them. Together, we can empower young children in 2023.
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