5 Ways Your Interactions With Children Help Or Hinder Their Creativity And Critical Thinking
There is little doubt that COVID-19 has had a serious impact on everyone’s lives. The various lockdowns and other changes to ‘normal’ life have resulted in many children spending more time at home and less at reputable establishments such as this Croydon early learning center.
It’s only natural to wonder how this will affect the development of our children. However, the more you look at this, the more you realize that there are many daily interactions that can affect your child, some positively, and some negatively. Understanding what these are will help you to adjust your own behavioral patterns and give your child the best possible start in life.
- Praising Your Children
Praising children by telling them they have done something well is supposed to be a good thing. It can certainly boost their confidence. However, you must ensure that the praise is genuine, children can sense when it isn’t and this will affect their ability to accept praise in the future.
Equally, giving them praise for everything they do is more than is needed to boost confidence. In fact, it can lead to issues when they expect praise from those around them and don’t get it. Balance is critical! If a child doesn’t feel inspired they will struggle to be creative.
- Poetry
It has been shown that poetry is a great way to access and open the minds of children. You can read to them or have them read to you. Research suggests that poetry can open the neural pathways in their brain, helping each child to appreciate the richness of languages and terminology in the world.
This can actually help build tolerance as well as improve their literacy.
- Age-related Play
It can sometimes be hard to embrace a new plaything that your child enjoys. This is especially true if they are likely to pick it and then give up on it again within a week.
However, exploring new playthings is an important development step. By ensuring your child has a fresh supply of age-related playthings you will keep challenging them. This encourages them to use their imagination and brain to solve the issues. That’s a positive skill they need to develop for success in life.
- Keep It Fun
It can be difficult to keep every interaction with your child fun. This is especially true if you have a lot on, your mind. However, your children respond directly to fun activities and this encourages them to try new things and have fun themselves.
The ability to try new things is an essential life skill.
- Criticism
Every person needs to be able to handle being criticized. It’s a good way of improving your current skill set and becoming the best you possible. However, criticism is a two-edged sword when dealing with children.
On the one hand, it can help them to improve. But, on the other, too much criticism will lead to them shutting down and effusing to try new things.
As with most things in life, balance is the key to inspiring your child. You just have to get the balance right!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
