There are three most important rules to guide parents:
1. Don't force your child to attend classes against his/her will
2. Educate yourself. The child copies your lifestyle
3. leave your child free time - at least 2 hours a day.
Alas, in real life parents often face "non-standard" situations. Here are the most common questions and let's try to answer them:
- What should you do if your child has no stable interests and is constantly changing sections?
It's not a big deal: up to the age of 12, children have no stable interests at all. And even after that, they have the right to refuse a section or some hobby. It's normal.
- How do you motivate your child to learn if they don't grasp everything on the fly?
If the child has problems in mastering the material, study ahead of time: study the topics of the next lessons or even classes in advance.
- What do you do if you have no interests and desires at all?
Healthy kids don't do that. Take a closer look. Maybe you just don't think your child's interests are important. Maybe he or she is more interested in hanging out with friends than solving math problems or learning English. That's okay: social skills are important, too.
- "I really want the child to read books/learn a foreign language/play sports. What to do?"
You can't force it. Start yourself: read books, learn languages, go to the gym. Children always repeat the actions and lifestyle of their parents. It will not happen immediately, but after a couple of months, a year, two years, you will notice changes.
- Should we force children to play music or sports?
Don't. Send your child to a music school or coach only if he or she wants to practice.
- A child is passionate about something and has a talent. Should it be nurtured?
Of course! Show him to the teacher, enroll him in the section and he will be grateful to you. But teach him: if he loses the desire, you do not need to persuade or force him to practice.
This post is based on a radio broadcast with Mikhail Labkovsky, "Important Skills of Successful Children: How to Develop?"
