How to Boost Your Child's Personal Growth
This Summer
As parents, it’s our job to make sure our kids are always learning, growing, and working toward becoming functional, healthy adults. No pressure, right? Kids are information sponges, absorbing every message, behavior, and event they see on a daily basis. Essentially, they’re watching everything we do, even when we don’t realize it.
Encouraging personal growth in a child can be as simple as encouraging social interaction or as complex as discussing boundaries with kids and other adults. Take a look at this list of tips on how to boost your child’s personal growth for a more productive summer!
Teach Personal Boundaries
One of the most important lessons a person can learn in life is to respect others’ boundaries. Boundaries are crucial to a healthy relationship; they let everyone involve know which things are off-limits for them. For instance, you might set a boundary with your child about touching your face. Or, a boundary involving a negative behavior such as lying or stealing.
Personal boundaries can make or break relationships later in life. If you set too few, you get stepped on, if you set too many, it’s difficult for anyone to get close to you. Teaching your child how to be accepting while still setting (and respecting) boundaries is something they’ll remember much later on.
Start with minor boundaries and explain why you said “no”. Some parents choose the favorite retort “because I said so”, but this phrase actually does more harm than good. Working with your child to help them understand the nature of boundaries is much more beneficial.
Get Them Involved In An Activity
Assuming the country has re-opened at some point this summer, you can get your child involved in an activity. Sports, the arts, etc., are great ways to stimulate personal growth through social interaction, competition, and creativity.
If sports teams and other league activities are still suspended, there are online art classes, music lessons, and more available at sites like Udemy and LessonFace. These courses are designed and run by professional artists, musicians, teachers, and the like. You can download pre-made instruction courses, or take real-time lessons via a video chat service.
Now’s the perfect time to take up a new hobby, and if your child has always wanted to play an instrument or learn a skill,it’s a good time to sign them up for a lesson. They’ll stay stimulated and have something to look forward to during their time in isolation.
Encourage Social Interaction
Even if we’re still social distancing when summer comes, it’s still important to make sure your child gets a dose of social interaction. Don’t let them fall out of touch with friends or classmates while we’re all stuck at home. Encourage a video or audio call at least once a week or more.
Social interaction is very important to the overall growth of a child. Social skills are learned this way, and important social cues and other information are best learned from real-life interactions.
Spend Time With Your Child
As a parent, spending time with your child is crucial to developing a healthy relationship with them and encouraging their growth. Children love when their parents take a genuine interest in the things they love, value, or are talented at. Quality time together is a great time to talk about things, learn life lessons, and just listen to your child’s thoughts on the world.
You’ll want to encourage an inquisitive and curious nature in your child. Answer their questions as truthfully as you can, and if you don’t know, just say you don’t know! Make sure your child knows that they can talk to you about their mental health, as well. When you arrive at shared conclusions about the best path forward, let American Sign Company make these into wall quotes for you.
It’s all too easy to forget that this epidemic has an effect on our children as well as us. Children understand a little less about the world, which probably makes this situation all the more confusing and possibly scary for them.
You are your child’s support group, so don’t be afraid to open the door to a conversation about tough subjects. Your child is likely curious about the virus, the lockdown, and the future.
The Bottom Line
We’re stuck in social isolation for at least the next few months. With some states considering re-opening measures, there may be plenty of opportunities to engage with your child when summer comes. If restrictions remain in place, however, our list will help you find brain-boosting activities and stimulate personal growth.
Remember that you are your child’s greatest support! Genuinely listen to them and take an interest in what they enjoy to encourage good self-esteem.
