What makes your child special? Do you know your child’s strengths and interests? Do you know how to nurture and inspire creative kids?
In the world of Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram I think as parents we sometimes get caught up in what activities we “think our children should be doing” rather than activities for our children.
You may see a fun activity on Pinterest but does it encourage or nurture your child’s creative strengths?
Each child is special and unique.
As a parent it is our job to nurture and discover our child’s talents.
An activity that engages one child may quickly bore another child. If you have more than one child you most likely have already witnessed this. As a parent we must find the time to discover and identify what makes each child unique and foster what make them special.
How to Nurture Your Child’s Talent in 3 Easy Steps
1. Observe and identify your child’s talent. By talent I am not referring to being gifted or being a prodigy in a specific area. Every child has a combination of strengths and talents. As I stated above each child is special and unique. Identify what this talent or strength is for your child.
Observe what toys and games your child prefers to play. Listen to what questions they ask.
For example, M-Woww (3 years old) loves to sing and dance. While I know we will not be auditioning for Dance Moms any time soon, I do want to provide learning opportunities and create engaging activities that foster her love to move and dance. I know she will be more willing to learn when we add music and movement to the learning activity, like our Head Shoulders Knees and Toes Music Video.
2. Praise Effort Not Ability. Praising effort is important for not only nurturing your child’s talent but also building their self esteem. By praising the effort (Wow, look how hard you worked to fill the page with color”) you are building your child’s self- confidence. Your child will learn it takes hard work to develop their talents. Even children that are “gifted” in areas still need to work hard to develop that natural talent.
3. Provide resources to cultivate your child’s interests. Provide a rich learning environment based on your child’s interests.
Lil B (5 years old) loves building. Every week in our toy rotation there is an open-ended building activity. We also may go to the library to find books on the subject of building. If I see a construction site on our way home I will pull over and allow him time to watch and observe the machines in action (of course, not every time but if we have a few extra minutes). I also am aware since he loves to build, spatial reasoning is a strength for him. If he is working on a skill, let’s say recognizing site words, I try to find activities that use his strengths to keep him engaged and learning.
What if I don’t know my child’s strengths?
Sometimes it may be hard to identify our child’s strengths especially when they are young. This doesn’t make you less of a parent. By offering different types of activities or observing what toys, games and activities are your child’s favorite you can begin to identify what their strengths may be. You also can sign up to receive our free download, 5 Ways to Unlock Your Child’s Hidden Talents.
Understand your own strengths and learning style.
My own interest has always been art. I know I am a visual learner but as a teacher and now a Mom I know the way I learn may not be the best for my students or own children. It was important to me to understand how my students learned and now as a parent, understand how my children learn.
I am my child’s best advocate to help them succeed in life.
By understanding your child’s strengths you can help grow and develop their talents or challenge your child when needed. Each child is unique.
Share in the comments below. What is your child’s special talent or strength?
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