Parents all have one thing in common; they want the absolute best for their children. Part of the responsibility of parenting is to discover what your children are naturally good at and to nurture that. Unfortunately, this could potentially lead to exhausted children with a fully booked schedule and a lot of pressure to perform.
The question the exhausted parents often ask is, how do I unlock my child’s potential without putting too much pressure on them?
Start by LISTENING to your child. Let’s take a look at what exactly listening to your child will entail:
Listen to what your child is telling you. Are they excited to go to a specific lesson or to participate in a specific activity? Or are they complaining about practice/participation? People usually enjoy the things they are naturally good at and will be more likely to excel in that area.
Is this something your child wanted to do, or is this something you want them to do? Many children have ended up hating a specific activity because they were forced to do it. Don’t force them to do it because you believe it will benefit them.
To admit that something is not working for your child and to make a change is not accepting defeat. This is not to say that you should teach your child to give up when faced with challenges, but forcing your child to participate in an activity they are clearly not interested in or have no natural inclination towards may lead to resentment.
Enough is enough. Don’t overburden your child. Children need down time to relax and to play unstructured and uninterrupted. The fast pace of too many activities after school could lead to burnout which will achieve the opposite of unlocking their potential. It could even make them lose interest in something that they are really good at or lead to depression.
Is your expectation of your child’s performance age appropriate? Always consider if what you expect from your child is appropriate for their age. For example, a 4-year-old shouldn’t be spending an hour a day practising music, they should be climbing the jungle gym to develop the necessary muscles for school readiness.
Natural talent isn’t always discovered at a very young age and you shouldn’t expect your child to specialise in specific activities. Children might need exposure to a lot of things, participation in some things and only focus on activity when they are older. Some children are also late bloomers and might only find their passion and natural talent in adulthood.
Go, go, go! When they do find something they enjoy, you should be their biggest supporter. Even if they’re not especially good at it. Your child should never think that your love or approval of them is somehow connected to their performance.
Unlocking your child’s potential could be a wonderful and interesting journey if handled with enough patience, love and by listening to your child.
