Raising children is a whole mixture of emotions. There can be joy, fun, stress, and sadness, and also a pressure to do certain things or raise children in a certain way. Knowing how to raise children is different for everyone; there is no rule book. But there can be one thing that a lot of parents will agree on, and that is wanting to raise well-rounded children. But what does that really mean?
A well-rounded child is someone who can think for themselves, and someone who is secure in their own decisions. If you can raise children that develop a sense of who they are, where they fit in the world, and feel confident in themselves, then they are on their way to becoming well-rounded people. This doesn’t need to start right from being young, as there is a lot of general development that will be going on then. But once they are reaching the age of nine or ten, it can be a good idea to start thinking about how to raise more well-rounded children. It is the age when they need to start thinking about their skills in the classroom, about good behaviour, work habits, as well as personal and social citizenship.
That all sounds like something pretty overwhelming, though, right? Where do you start with all of this? Here are some tips and advice that has been found across the internet, to give you some of the best advice to help you to raise well-rounded children, so that they can be the best that they can be, and reach their potential. Of course, they have choices in what they do, but as a parent, if you can lay the groundwork, it can make a massive difference.
Discover who your kid really is
Raising a child that is well-rounded will mean raising a child that has a strong sense of self. They are likely to have this when they are in their early years, but this trait can actually be quite easy to stop. Children when they are younger, are all focused on you. It is all about family, parents, and siblings, and they will base their identity around that. But as children get older, they will start to explore things different to you. The important part here is to respect the choices that they make, as they discover new things and new ideas. This self-identity will get broader, and will begin to form usually around the age of eleven. Support your children with what they are passionate about, the things that they do in school, and so on.
Another important note here is to make sure that you keep lines of communication open. You might want to know what they are doing in each class, but they might want to talk about friends and what happened at break time.
Provide plenty of opportunities
If you want to help to raise some well-rounded children, then it really makes a difference if you are able to provide them with some great opportunities. These things don’t have to cost a lot, but being able to offer them some travel opportunities, sporting opportunities, creative opportunities, and so on, then it can make a massive difference to them. They can explore a whole range of things, find what they enjoy, and this can help them to grow in confidence, and increase their knowledge and self-identity in the world.
You could think about things like getting pets as a way to help too, as that is another opportunity that can help them. There are so many things that can come with having a pet, that can play a part in helping them. It can help them to learn responsibility, develop compassion, and show love. It can also be a massive learning opportunity for children as they train a dog with dog treats and teach some tricks. The statistics are there too. Children who have pets are likely to be more confident than those that aren’t raised with pets. So that is something to think about in this whole crazy journey of motherhood.
Teach them to listen and communicate
Children will have some basic communication skills as they get older and as they start school. But this will develop as they get older. Being able to teach our children to listen reflectively is something that is important, though many adults fail to do that! This is all about when someone says something to you, and then you repeat it back to them and reframe it.
Encouraging children to develop their ability to pay attention is something that is really important. If you are able to give them the language to show that they are listening and connected, then it can make such a difference to their attention skills. Older children, for example, need to be able to communicate without any intervention from you. It is important to let them speak for themselves as much as they can; don’t answer for them if someone asks them a question. Let them order at the restaurant, and so on. They will find their voice and it will give them some confidence.
Keep the curiosity alive
Children are naturally born to be quite curious about the world around them, and about life in general. It is something that is powerful and important when raising children. It can start off with creating a safe place for them at home, where they feel confident and safe to ask questions and to comment and join in with conversations. Just saying to children ‘because I said so’ when they ask something, can be really tricky, as it doesn’t help them to learn or to be curious.
Eating a meal as a family is something that can help, as it is the chance to draw them into conversation. You can talk about their day, current affairs, politics, their interests, and so on. This is something that is important to get them curious, to ask questions, and get involved. It should be a safe place at home, so can make a massive difference.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.
