5 Ways to Build a Strong Foundation for Your Child’s Future
According to a recent poll¹, families said they are most concerned about their child’s future mental health and financial stability. While it may not seem so, many of the same skills and supports can improve your child’s chance of future personal and professional success.
1.
Build Relationship Skills
Having connected relationships creates a sense of belonging and comfort knowing you are surrounded by support in times of need. We build strong relationships through demonstrating empathy, communication, and resolving conflict. Children can practice and build these important skills through puppet play. Puppets provide children a great way to safely role play how to navigate difficult discussions, situations, or emotions:
Resolving conflict: Two (friends, siblings) arguing over a toy.
Empathy: You see your (friend, sibling, family member) crying. What do you think they are feeling? How could you help?
Communication: Use puppets to practice manners for a party or dining out, asking to play or for help, listening and responding in conversations, discussing feelings and how to overcome uncomfortable emotions.
2.
Reading
Reading to your child increases the amount of quality time spent together which leads to a stronger relationship. Increased attention builds trust and feelings of safety and security that support healthy mental well-being. Reading together improves increased vocabulary, reading comprehension, phonetic awareness, and creativity. Children strengthen concentration and self-discipline as they increase the ability to sit and listen for longer periods of time. Reading also provides the opportunity to practice critical thinking skills by introducing new information or concepts and discussing how to apply this knowledge to real-world experiences².
3.
Choose High-Quality Media
The American Academy of Pediatrics screen-time recommendations state³:
Birth to 18 months: avoid introduction to television or entertainment media
18 months to 24 months: limited, high-quality programming can be introduced and viewed together with a parent or caregiver
Two to five years old: limit to one-hour of high-quality programming viewed together with a parent or caregiver
Today’s children have access to an infinite amount of online content. Families have concerns about the mental health impact of who and what children might encounter while streaming video content, interacting on games and apps, or connecting on social media. According to Common Sense Media, quality programming includes⁴:
Connection: Content is engaging and children can identify with the story or characters. Maybe they even learn something new or useful.
Critical Thinking: Media that takes an in-depth look into a subject, topic, or skill. Games and shows that encourage strategy or critical thinking like navigating ethical dilemmas or overcoming challenges or obstacles.
Creativity: Content that gives children the opportunity to feel ownership by making something new or adding their input on the experience.
Context: Be with children as they watch or interact with media so you can be available to answer questions or have discussions to extend learning.
Set the example by avoiding screen time at meals and during conversations. Create screen-free time for everyone to play board games, cook or bake, make crafts, or spend time outdoors. Pairing screen time with healthy habits helps create a balanced approach to media consumption leading to improved personal and professional success.
4.
Social and emotional learning (SEL)
It has been proven time and time again, one of the greatest predictors of personal and professional success is having strong social-emotional skills⁵. While there may be differing opinions on some aspects of SEL, the majority of families unite on the importance of teaching social, emotional, and character development skills⁶. CASEL defines five core areas of SEL skills⁷:
Responsible decision-making: understanding expectations, problem solving, considering safety, morals, values to make ethical decisions
Support decision-making skills by offering choices like: snack foods, clothing, chores, or activities. Start with a limited choice of two options and add more to build confidence and independence.
Self-awareness: identifying and understanding emotions, discovering personal strengths and challenges, confidence
There are no “good” or “bad” emotions, all emotions are okay to feel. Labeling feelings provides a moment of pause which can help support healthy responses to emotions. Practice using, “I feel..” statements when identifying emotions. Emotions are a temporary state and do not define who we are.
Self-management: managing emotions and reactions to the emotions of others, setting and achieving goals, impulse control, persistence, grit
Use coping strategies to help manage big emotions. Practice when children are calm and receptive to learning, not during times of stress or strong emotional reactions. Learn different techniques to counter a variety of feelings:
Relax: deep breaths, hug a pillow, use a damp rag to cool off
Distract: “eye spy,” play with pets, blow bubbles
Move: exercise, dance, throw a ball
Social awareness: empathy, understanding the perspective of others, respect for others, appreciating diversity
Encourage empathy and caring for others with simple acts of kindness: write notes or draw pictures to put on neighbor’s doors, volunteer to play games or read books at a senior center, pick up litter on your street or a park, donate time or resources to an animal shelter or food bank.
Relationship skills: communication, resolving conflict, friendship skills, teamwork
Help your child strengthen skills that build healthy relationships:
Play board games to practice taking turns, patience, celebrating others’, and good sportsmanship
Build communication and teamwork skills with group activities: build a blanket fort, complete chores or household tasks, visit (or create) an escape room
5.
Provide space to make mistakes
We want to provide our children every opportunity to grow, thrive, and be successful. Protecting from failure can limit curiosity, creative thinking, and ability to cope with stress. Allow your child the space and grace to make mistakes or experience natural consequences (avoiding any obvious health or safety risks, of course). Experiencing failure can feel upsetting. Some thoughts to guide children who experience failure:
You are loved: Let children know that no matter what, your love for them doesn’t change.
Mistakes happen: Remind your child that mistakes happen to everyone. Reflect on what happened and discuss what was learned from the experience.
Build resilience: It’s hard to try again after defeat. Encourage your child to think of ways to avoid making or repeating mistakes. Discuss opportunities to repair trust or relationships to heal or overcome uncomfortable emotions.
With a little practice, you can have peace-of-mind knowing your child has skills and strategies that lead to improved opportunities for a lifetime of success, health, and happiness.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/why-reading-aloud-to-kids-helps-them-thrive
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/are-some-types-of-screen-time-better-than-others
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2018/promoting-social-and-emotional-health
About Us
MVP Kids creates a safe space where kids can laugh and learn through powerful storytelling; and where parents and educators are equipped to mentor and inspire them on their Journey to Character™.
