Part of guiding our children is helping them to think through problems and come up with viable solutions for the situations they encounter. Sometimes it seems easier and faster to jump in and solve problems or do things for them. We easily give our answers and opinions. However, you can really benefit your child by slowing down the process and helping them think through things with your guidance. A lot of this comes through experimentation and asking questions. It might mean letting them make mistakes. It might seem longer and more tedious in the short term. My kids have recently wanted to pour their own cereal and milk. They’ll never learn if I don’t let them try. However, it takes guidance on my part. I encourage them to think it through first. I teach them to pay attention to where the bowl is, how full the milk is, how much cereal is appropriate, etc. There are so many simple questions you can ask for guidance to help them learn to be real thinkers and problem solvers:
I agree with this tip and post! I often say to my boy “How do you think we can solve this problem?” Your questions are awesome and I need to ask more like this. I too hope to raise problem solvers.
Thanks so much, Trina. It’s constant training, isn’t it? I’m seeing the fruits though, so that’s good.