7 Ways to Raise a Well-Rounded Kid

Children need attention and parental guidance. Raising children properly doesn’t have to involve a private school or tutor, or the fanciest summer camp you can find for them. When it comes to children, it is the parent’s biggest concern to make them happy and prepared for life. According to psychologists from Harvard, for a child to be successful, they need to learn a set of skills with the help of their parents, the most important one being caring.

If you’re interested to learn what the seven best ways are to raise a well-rounded kid, here is your answer.

1.    Don’t Push Them Too Hard

As parents, we all have to push our children a little bit. However, pushing your child into the right direction should come in the form of guidance, not obligations. Many children stop loving the things they used to love only because their parents pushed them too hard.

If you push your child too hard, he’ll lose motivation and focus. Your dedication and good intentions can be the reason for them not doing what they’re good at. If your child starts piano lessons, try to motivate him to keep going. But, when their desire to quit becomes too big and they don’t seem to like the piano any longer, let them quit.

This won’t make your child a quitter. Don’t let them quit everything right after they try it. Try to push them a little bit, make them more interested and motivated. Ask them to try one more time. If they take an online course, ask them to do one more lesson to see how it goes. However, if their disinterest continues and they are frustrated about the entire thing, stop pushing.

If you see that a task makes your child unhappy, give them guidance and help. Imagine this. Your child has spent the entire night writing an essay to meet a deadline but their computer crashes. The way you respond can make a big difference in your child’s accomplishments. Be understanding and helpful, you could reach out to the teacher and let them know what has happened. Even though you, as a parent, should encourage them to do their homework, you might, as a last resort, allow them to hire https://edubirdie.com/  if the pressure is actually doing them more harm than good.

2.    Encourage Them to Be Curious

Raising a child right isn’t just about feeding or educating your child. People can only succeed in life if they try new things. If you notice that your child is curious about something, motivate him to try it out. It may not work out and your child might quit or be bad at it, but that’s no reason not to take the chance.

Similarly, raising a child right isn’t about spoiling your child just so that he never gets hurt in any way. Once they grow up, they’ll have to face all kinds of challenges. So, let them try new things as long as they aren’t dangerous to their well being. Encourage them to be more curious.

3.    Praise Them, but the Right Way

In an attempt to praise their children, parents tend to overspend on material things. It is good to reward a person who did well. However, praising your child does not always have to be materialistic.

Kids will need your praise as a parent, but not in the form of gifts. The right way to praise a child is to give them an occasional reward, but most importantly, praise them with your words and actions. A high five, a hug, and some nice words can stick into their memory much longer than just another car toy. Though of course, if it’s a birthday or Christmas, there are some great kids’ ride toys here.

4.    Teach Them Empathy and Caring

People who know empathy are much happier in life. They are surrounded and loved by more people and can easily imagine what it would be like if they were into the shoes of someone else.

Raising your children means teaching them valuable life skills, skills they don’t really get through traditional education. The most important of these are empathy and caring for others. So, set ethical expectations for your child. Praise their good behavior. Teach them values and justice.

5.    Teach Them to Be Thankful

When you teach your child to care and be empathetic, you’re teaching them to help others. However, they must learn how to behave the other way around. When someone helps your child, he has to know how to practice gratitude.

As early as you can, teach your child to say a simple ‘thank you’. When someone brings home a present for your child or does something for them, teach your child to be grateful. This will make him more compassionate, generous, and even forgiving in the future. Plus, if they learn to praise the things they have, they’ll live a much happier life.

6.    Be a Role Model

It is widely known that children do what they see their parents do. You can’t just praise or teach your child. More importantly, you can’t punish him for bad behavior if you’re not following your own advice.

Before you start teaching your child anything, be a role model for them. Pay much closer attention to how you’re living your life. Children won’t take your guidance seriously if you teach them not to do something you’re doing. If you lie to your boss on the phone, you can’t expect your child to be honest at school. If you don’t care for others, you can’t teach them to care either.

Parents are the role models for children and there are many things your child will learn from how you act and behave. In fact, the most valuable lessons in a child life won’t come from the words of their parents. They’ll come from their actions. These are the things that engrave into their memory more than words.

7.    Motivate Them

There is a big difference between pushing a motivating a child to do something. You motivate a child by being a role model, showing them their options, keeping them informed about things, etc. As a parent, it is your job to motivate your child to take on opportunities that might affect their life in a great way. Provide them with their options and tell them the advantages of every cause they may choose to join.  That’s how you keep them motivated.

Conclusion

Parents have the hardest job in the world. They don’t just have to care about the health of their child, keep him clothed and fed, or send them off to school. The job does not end there. As a parent, you must also take action into what your child grows into. This requires a great deal of guidance, educational activities, and motivation. With these tips, you can learn how to turn your child into a well-rounded individual.

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Author’s Bio:

Connie Elser is a child psychologist but more importantly, a mother of four. Her experience is what teaches Connie to guide both children and parents in the right direction. According to Connie, parents are bound to make thousands of mistakes in raising their children, but it’s the things they do right that count the most.