How does your child define success? Do you let them define what success should be according to you? If you asked your child what success means, you’ll probably hear a different story.
In a recent survey of school children, aged between 5 and 16, it was found that most children believe the secret to being a successful grown-up was being ‘happy’.
Yes, it was not the fast cars, stashed money or even being famous! Success simply meant happiness! And we should let them believe that.
If you want to raise a successful child, know their abilities. The abilities should be determined by what he or she is capable of doing and not how some book defines it or what you wish they were capable of doing.
For example, you can’t push a two-year-old child to colour within the lines when all that they want to do is scribble! Pushing for neatness can make them dislike the activity altogether.
As a parent, increase their chances of success by indulging in those activities that match his/her abilities. When they begin to fine-tune their abilities, they will be more successful. Success is not limited to one area in life. It’s a holistic approach!
Let’s look at a few areas where it is important to be successful and what you as a parent can do to help them get there.
Inculcate Healthy Habits
It’s a known fact that performance levels drop if you are not physically feeling well. Following healthy habits leads to better performance. It is important that they choose healthy habits that will help them in the long-run.
As a parent ensure that you encourage them to follow a routine that can give them the best of both worlds – rest and energy. Follow a bedtime routine, let them eat well and limit their time with gadgets.
Teach Social Skills
While we all want our children to excel in life through academics, we forget to instill social skills in them. After all, it is the need of the hour!
Confidence, self-control, empathy, communication, and co-operation are some of the attributes that fall under social skills.
As a parent, you can contribute to their social skills by making them feel confident about their decisions or interacting with people. Teach them the value of sharing, talk to them often so that they know how important it is to build a conversation and communicate.
Talk!
It is a task to sometimes get out information from your child. When my boys were younger, I did a lot of role play to understand how the school was and how their friends were.
Talking with them always made me aware of what their fears were or what they loved the most. When you speak to them give them a chance to express what they feel.
Parents who take out time to be in the moment and be present can have a lasting impact on the child. It gives the child a sense of security that they can reach out to you at any point of time and trust you. Take out the time to praise them on getting a good grade or excelling in a task at school or home.
Stick to a Routine
Kids thrive on a structure or a routine. It helps them stay organised. Split tasks that are doable for the both of you. While your routines can differ, what is more important is to keep it the same every day so that the both of you know what to expect.
As a parent ensuring even small tasks that include getting the uniform ready for the next day, polishing shoes, setting the bag or filing the homework sheets can help your child be more organised in the morning for school.
Play!
Sports help to train the mind and needless to say that the physical activity that is associated with it can make them healthy and fit. A sport is a better option over a mindless game on a tablet or watching television!
Sports play a major role in boosting the morale and self-esteem and even shaping the personality of your child. Encourage them to take a sport that can turn them into confident individuals.
Be Proud of Their Accomplishments
We all want our children to succeed. But that doesn’t mean you demand that they excel in everything. A better way would be to let them know that you trust them to give their best and you as a parent will be proud of their accomplishments.
As a parent, you need to create an environment that will promote learning in a healthy way. Keep the competitive world aside and let them know that you are happy even if they gave it their best.
Understanding that no two individuals are same is most important. Your child will sometimes fail and falter, but remember that it is all a part of the learning curve. As a parent you need to realise that no child can be successful in all spheres. Don’t berate or put them down. Success comes with hard work, and hard work takes time.
(Pratibha spent her childhood in idyllic places only fauji kids would have heard of. She grew up reading a variety of books that let her imagination wander and still hopes to come across the Magic Faraway Tree. When she's not rooting for eco-living or whipping up some DIY recipes to share with her readers, Pratibha is creating magic with social media. You can view her blog at www.pratsmusings.com) or reach to her on Twitter at @myepica.)
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