You’re running late for work and needed to leave five minutes ago. Your child still hasn’t found her shoes but she’s managed to find her lost purse, sticker collection, and birthday card from last year. You’ve repeated directions three times to get her shoes, and you feel on the verge of snapping.

Every parent has experienced this at one time or another. There are dozens of reasons children struggle to follow directions. It’s easy to blame these all on your child (after all, you did repeat yourself three times!). 

However, there is always room for improvement in the way parents direct their children. For instance, do you really have your child’s attention, or are you giving instructions while they’re playing a video game? Are you giving clear directions, or are your directions confusing?

Here are some ways to improve your communication so your child is more likely to follow directions the first time. 

Gain Your Child’s Attention

There’s no point in giving directions if your child isn’t listening. This will only frustrate you unnecessarily and lead to greater tension. 

We live in a world of almost constant distraction. We have so much to look at, listen to, and interact with, it’s no surprise that our children are distracted! So, before you give directions, ensure your child is attentive to you. This usually means eye contact, but can also be a verbal acknowledgment from your child (for instance, if they are in the other room).

Teaching your child to look at the person addressing them takes time and patience but is well worth the effort. Eye contact shows respect for the other person and is considered good manners. A well-mannered child is viewed favorably by adults, and this will only benefit your child! 

Watch Your Tone

You’re less likely to listen to your boss or other superiors if they are yelling, speaking condescendingly, or otherwise appearing annoyed with you. The same is true for your children!

Children will mirror your demeanor, tone, and attitude. Speaking to them with annoyance, frustration, condescension, or other negative emotions will likely come right back at you. 

Choosing to speak kindly, respectfully, and positively, not only increases your chances of first-time obedience but also benefits your relationship and models appropriate social interactions for your children. 

Ensure Understanding

After you’ve given a direction, it may be necessary to allow your child a few seconds to process. Then, ask your child what the directions were. For instance:

• Where are we going in five minutes?
• What do you need to get from your room?
• When can you eat a cookie?

These kinds of questions ensure your child understands the directions and expectations of those directions. 

Give Instructions One at a Time

Toddlers and young children can’t follow more than one-step directions. For adults, it’s easy for us to remember “Get your shoes and jacket and get in the car,” but this is a lot of things for a little brain to remember! It’s not until kindergarten that most children can consistently follow through with two or more step directions.

It’s important to have appropriate expectations for your child’s age. If they are younger, give one-step directions (e.g., “Go get your shoes,” and once this has been done, “Go get your jacket”). This will reduce confusion for your child and frustration for you!

If your child is in elementary school but still unable to follow multiple instructions, it may be appropriate to give one-step directions for a season. If your child truly does need one-step directions, this approach will quickly grow their confidence to achieve two-step (and more) directions. If your child is just being lazy, having to go back and forth will get tiresome after a while and they will decide it’s better to do everything all at once. 

Give Simple Choices

There are times when a parent must decide on behalf of the child and other times when the child can choose. While these can be helpful for the child to express themselves and be independent, be careful not to give complicated choices. For example:

• Would you like to wear a pink or purple dress?
• Would you like chocolate or vanilla ice cream?
• Do you want to ride your scooter or bike on our walk?

Giving your child more than two or three choices can feel overwhelming and can result in an avoidable meltdown. Keep things simple!

Following Directions at Children’s Academy Childcare

At Children’s Academy Childcare, we aspire to train children who are attentive and follow through on given instructions. Our teachers are clear and kind when giving directions and have age-appropriate expectations and techniques for training children to be attentive listeners.  

The Terrible Two’s is infamous for being the most challenging years of child rearing. As toddlers grow in their mobility and communication, they want to assert their independence, even if their choices aren’t what’s best for them. When a parent tells them “no,” a meltdown is likely to ensue.

But as any parent with older children can tell you, meltdowns don’t stop once the toddler turns three–or four or five, or even older! The meltdowns just evolve as the child gets older, even if they’re not rolling around on the floor. 

Meltdowns are something every parent has to deal with. Here are some tips that will help you handle meltdowns, no matter the age. 

Stay Calm

Perhaps the most important approach to dealing with meltdowns is your demeanor and presence with your child. If you match your child’s frantic energy or force them to calm down by asserting your dominance, you can cause further damage.

Children mirror what you model. The best thing you can do for your child who is in meltdown mode is to stay calm. 

Think about staying calm from your head to your toes. Your face should be relaxed and kind, your voice calming and understanding, and your body language should be calming. When your child sees that you’re not angry at their tantrum, they will calm down much faster. 

Stay Consistent in Discipline Methods

There are dozens of discipline methods for meltdowns, and it’s the parent’s responsibility to explore which method best fits the needs of your child. But once this method is chosen, it’s essential to stick with it, even when times get tough!

Consistency is crucial for a child’s development, and this includes discipline. When a child never knows the repercussions of their behavior, there’s less incentive to respond maturely. Why not have the biggest meltdown to see what mom does this time? But when a child knows that their meltdown will result in a consistent outcome, they are motivated to listen to your instruction on calming down.

Of course, there will be times in which it is challenging to stick with your discipline method. Perhaps you’ve had a long day, are battling an illness, or are under a lot of stress. Consistent discipline is hard, and it’s easy to let discipline slide. But your child is counting on you to be consistent no matter what, and for the good of your child, follow through with your commitment. 

Reward Positive Behavior

Good parenting doesn’t just give consequences for bad behavior but also rewards good behavior. Your parenting job is made ten times easier by not just punishing the bad, but by rewarding the good. 

Your child’s room is messy, and you’ve told them to clean it up. They know that having a meltdown results in losing tablet time, but you’ve told them that cleaning up their room earns a trip to the park. Your child is not just incentivized by losing tablet time, but also by getting the reward. 

While rewarding good behavior is important, parents have to be careful to not fall into bribery. Children shouldn’t need a treat or reward for doing as you ask. Sometimes simply avoiding the consequence of a meltdown is a positive reward in itself. But don’t underestimate the power of showing pleasure towards your child when they obey! 

Children want to please their parents, and they will feel aptly rewarded when you show your genuine enthusiasm. Consider how these statements would motivate your child:

• “That was so fast!”
• “Thank you, that was such a big help to me!”
• “I’m so proud of you for doing what we talked about”

Try one of these or tailor them to your child’s specific needs and watch their eyes sparkle. You will feel a spark of joy in your heart, too.

Take Initiative Today for Better Tomorrows

No matter the age of your child, it’s essential to take charge of meltdowns. 

If your child is in or approaching the Terrible Two’s (or is a Threenager), save yourself time and turmoil by not calling meltdowns “cute” or “funny.” As your child grows, these meltdowns will only get more challenging to handle. Your future self (and your future child!) thanks you for dealing with meltdowns now.

If your child is pre-K, kindergarten, or older, and is still experiencing meltdowns, the exhortation is the same! Don’t hesitate to assemble a game plan for handling meltdowns. The only difference between younger and older kids is you can talk through these meltdowns in more depth (what triggered it, how they felt, what kept them from making good choices, what to do next time, etc).

Growing Self-Control at Children’s Academy Childcare

At Children’s Academy Childcare, we know that meltdowns happen. Our teachers are trained to be kind and compassionate with children having meltdowns and how to respond appropriately in a classroom setting. We also seek to work alongside parents, supporting your measures at home, and we rejoice with you when children gradually overcome their meltdowns.

A new baby is a blessing–but sometimes a big sibling may not see it that way. While many children are delighted to have a baby brother or sister, it’s understandable that big siblings may be dubious. 

Whether your child is excited or apprehensive, all big siblings need a little preparation for the journey ahead. 

How you prepare your child for a new baby is mainly up to their age and understanding of babies. The following suggestions are broken down into age-appropriate categories.

Be Realistic About New Baby Habits

It’s easy to just squeal over cute baby clothes or look forward to baby snuggles. These are a wonderful part of infancy, but there are realistic challenges and changes you need to prepare big siblings for.

Babies cry. They wake up at night. They require a lot of mom’s attention. They need a quiet space to sleep. If your big kid doesn’t know these will happen, they will feel caught off guard and may have trouble bonding with their baby sibling.

For every age, there are many excellent books you can check out at the library to help your child get a more realistic picture of life with a new baby.

Toddler

Baby dolls are an excellent way to prepare both boy and girl toddlers for the new baby. Teach your toddler how to care for the baby: hold it, feed it a bottle, wrap it in a blanket, etc. Especially as you get closer to your due date, practice a routine like wrapping the baby, feeding it a bottle, and laying it down for a nap. Then play quietly (toddlers love to say “shh!”) while the baby sleeps.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children at this age have a better understanding of an infant’s needs, but they will still need lots of repetition for what life with an infant will be like. Your big kid might be apprehensive about how these changes will affect them, so present them realistically but joyfully. 

Early Elementary

Early elementary-aged children may be able to understand how their family is changing the best. They could be the most excited, or the most apprehensive or resentful. If they struggle to accept the new changes, give them lots of understanding, but also include them in preparing for the baby. Let them pick out the nursery color, their going-home outfit, contribute to the gender reveal, or even the name.

Spend Special Time Together

A big uncertainty for big siblings is wondering if mom and dad will love them the same as before. This is an understandable concern because newborns do require so much attention. Even in the preparation phase, there’s so much to discuss, plan, and buy, and it’s easy for a child to assume their parents love their new sibling more than them. 

Besides reassuring your child that you love all your children equally, it’s vital to carve out time that’s just you and your older child. Starting this while pregnant will help ease any anxieties your older child has about a newborn taking extra attention.

Toddler

Toddlers may be unable to express what they want to do with you that feels “special.” This is partly because anything you do with them feels special! You can include them in almost anything you’re doing, from cooking to folding laundry, and this will be a bonding experience for both of you.

But don’t limit yourself to daily duties; a little effort goes a long way with this age group. Instead of just giving a snack, make it a little tea party with special cups and plates. Construct a blanket fort before snuggling to read books.

Many toddlers have tremendous energy, and their love language is through rough play. There are plenty of ways to incorporate rough play while maintaining safety, such as tickle games, pillow fights, or letting your child run away from you while you’re the “monster.” These are delightful bonding experiences for your child that fill up their love cup.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

At this age, your child loves to choose what they want to do. So let them have fun with choosing something special to do. Perhaps you watch a movie, read a book, paint fingernails, or go on a walk. Pick something you can talk and do at the same time; this can let your child open up in ways they haven’t before. 

Early Elementary

Children at this age may shy away from intentional parent-child time. But an excellent way to spend special time can be letting them stay up a little later to do a fun activity with you. Choose an activity that lets you talk, and ask intentional questions to help them express themselves. 

Involve Older Siblings in Preparing for the New Baby

A way to help older siblings be excited for a new baby is to involve them in preparation for the birth. 

Toddler

While toddlers may be indifferent to preparations for a new baby (they won’t care whether the nursery is baby pink or ballerina pink), it’s still fun to incorporate them in decisions. Let them pick out a special toy to give to the baby, buy them matching outfits, and talk about names.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children at this age may want to be the most involved in preparations. Luckily, they can actually be good helpers! They love to open packages and arrange things into baskets. Let them pick out something cute for the going-home outfit. Make and freeze postpartum treats for easy snacking. 

Early Elementary

Early elementary kids have the greatest capability of helping. They can help assemble and arrange the nursery furniture, fold and put away new clothes, wash bottles, and more. You can also show them how to make basic meals or snacks so they can feed themselves if you’re caught up with a crying baby at mealtimes. 

Be Understanding About Their Apprehension

We’ve all seen the videos of a pregnancy announcement where the big sibling throws a fit. It’s funny and sad at the same time because, of course, parents want their big kids to be happy with them. But it’s also understandable for anxiety to overwhelm big siblings, and this causes them to feel apprehensive about a newborn.

The best thing you can do as a parent is listen to your child and be understanding. 

Toddler

The cause of toddler apprehension is often because of misunderstandings. Perhaps they think they’re being replaced, you don’t love them anymore, or you wish they were different. Clearing these up usually turns their fears into genuine excitement.  

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children at this age may already have one or two other siblings, so their fears may be more based on their current relationship with younger siblings. They may not want to share their toys, room, or clothes with anyone else. 

You can remind them how an infant’s needs are different from those of a toddler, and they won’t be taking their possessions any time soon. It’s ok for them to feel confused or sad right now. But as a baby grows, they will feel genuinely excited to share things with their sibling because it’s exciting to see how a baby grows.  

Early Elementary

To a child of this age, a newborn can feel like a wrench is thrown into their lives. They may worry about what their friends will think, if they’ll be able to do their old activities like sports or dance, or if you’ll have any time for them. 

Let them share all their anxieties, disappointments, and fears without interrupting. Don’t diminish how they’re feeling, but validate any reasonable worries. It may take extra time for early elementary kids to warm up to having a baby sibling, but remaining understanding and loving towards them will eventually win them over. 

The Best Prep for Siblings: Children’s Academy Childcare

Believe it or not, Children’s Academy is one of the best places to prepare your child for a baby sibling. Making friends with peers who have baby siblings can relieve a lot of anxiety as they hear their experiences. They will also see babies daily, which can help them comprehend what their sibling will be like.

You can even make friends with another family in the infant classroom so your older siblings get a glimpse of what it’s like to hold or play with a baby.

All parents want their children to be well-liked by adults and peers alike. They want them to grow up into socially responsible and respectful adults. But this is especially challenging when culture doesn’t often reward honorable behavior and instead tolerates dysfunction. How can parents fight the uphill battle and win? 

What Does “Socially Responsible” Mean?

People are socially responsible when their occupations, hobbies, and relationships are not harmful to society or the environment. For kids, this might mean not vandalizing school property, throwing away their Gatorade bottle after soccer practice instead of littering, and standing up against bullies.

Reality Check: Parents as Role Models

Kids mirror what they see. This is a good reality check for parents. What are you teaching your child, through words, actions, television shows or movies, apps, books, are more? Are you a socially responsible person? Are you celebrating social responsibility, or are you letting things slide?  

These are critical questions to answer before expecting your children to be socially responsible themselves. If you discover ways in which you can improve, the first place to start is by bettering yourself, becoming the role model your child needs. 

Model Kindness

By far the most common denominator in any social responsibility situation is kindness. Without kindness, there can be no social responsibility.

Of course, this starts with parents modeling kindness. How can children know what kindness is unless they experience kindness themselves? Children look to their parents to understand kindness. The degree to which you give kindness to your children is the degree to which they will extend kindness to others. 

One way to teach kindness is for your child can ask themselves: would I want someone else to do or say this to me? If the answer is no, they can ask a follow-up question: what would I want someone to do or say to me? The hard part, of course, is doing what you would like to be done to you. 

Model a Team Mentality

Another aspect of social responsibility is being on a team. Once they make their way to the workforce, they must pull together with other individuals for the good of the company so they can continue being employed. They work alongside strangers for the good of the environment.

As a parent, you can model this team mentality in your own home. Everyone under your roof is on the same team. Celebrate victories, exhort one another to be better, and have one another’s back. This will overflow into other relationships and set a firm foundation for their futures.  

Include Kids in Household Contributions

Before the Industrial Revolution, most families lived on farms, and everyone–man, woman, and child–contributed to the needs of the household. Everyone had a job to do, and the rest of the family was counting on them to do this job for the betterment of the family. This wasn’t burdensome, but very fulfilling for children to feel not only wanted but needed.  

In our society, the expectation for children is to have a fun and carefree childhood. But really, our children thrive when they have some responsibility when they feel wanted and needed in the household. Not only that, but giving kids responsibility early helps them learn socially responsible skills.

Some ways kids can contribute to the needs of the household include:

• Picking up their toys
• Keeping their rooms tidy
• Cleaning up after meals
• Making meals or snacks
• Folding or putting away laundry
• Filling up pet food and water dishes

Let Them Fix Their Mistakes

No matter how well you teach social responsibility to your kids, they will make mistakes. It’s our natural parenting inclination to sweep in and patch up our kid’s mistake. If they forget their homework, you drive it to school. If they hurt their friend’s feelings, you apologize to them. But this strategy does more harm than good.

Children need to learn how to fix their mistakes. This is a hard thing, but it’s necessary! You won’t be there for every poor choice or harsh word, and if they’ve never fixed a problem on their own, they will crumble. When children fix their mistakes, it will:

• Help them learn what to do differently next time
• Be a deterrent from making the same or similar mistake
• Give them a sense of accomplishment
• Bring true conflict resolution between peers or teachers

Teaching Social Responsibility at Children’s Academy Childcare

At Children’s Academy, we support you in teaching social responsibility. We always seek to model towards children and we expect kindness between children and peers. Our classrooms have a team mentality where we support and have each other’s backs. The daily schedule has regular times for clean-up, child helpers, and volunteering. Children’s Academy reinforces all your hard work at home towards raising socially responsible children. 

New school supplies, new clothes, new teachers, new friends… There is a lot that’s new and exciting about the first day of school. 

But what’s not exciting? Dusting the cobwebs off the knowledge and skills from the month of May. 

Adults can all remember the frustration of recalling last year’s educational skills. While it’s important for a class to all be on the same level before moving forward with new concepts, there’s a better way than forgetting educational skills. 

The Summer Slide

When school’s out, everyone breathes a sigh of relief and wants to veg out. This is understandable, and everyone (parents, too!) deserves a break. 

But very quickly–and quicker than parents realize–children begin to lose the educational skills they’ve worked so hard to build throughout the school year.

It’s estimated that children lose over one month of learning during the summer vacation months! On average over the summer, children:

• Lose 2.6 months of math skills
• Lose 2 months of reading skills
• Spend 6 weeks re-learning old material in the fall to make up for summer learning loss

While a short break is beneficial, the long months of doing little besides video games, play time, and vacations can actually be detrimental to your child’s education. 

Avoiding the Summer Slide

Imagine your child walking into their first day of school feeling confident about remembering all the educational knowledge from last year. It’s easier than you may think!

Doing just a little educational work every day can prevent the summer slide and give your child a head start on their upcoming school year. Here are some fun and practical ways to accomplish this.

Join the Library’s Summer Reading Program

Joining your library’s summer reading program is one of the most practical ways to prevent the summer slide. Almost every library system has a summer reading program to keep kids learning, complete with weekly (or sometimes daily!) prizes, grand prize winners, fun activities, and more!

While sometimes picking any book of interest is necessary to keep your child interested in reading and educational subjects, your job as the parent is to guide your child toward choosing educational topics. 

These requirements don’t have to be extensive and rigid. But in general, it’s best for your child to keep reading a broad range of educational topics, including math, science, history, and fiction. Covering these subjects should be easily accomplished in a week. For instance, reading one book from each subject a week is manageable for most families.

Take your child’s interests and preferences into consideration as you choose books. Perhaps they love bugs, LEGOs (which are excellent for math skills), or a certain time period in history. Choose books that interest them!

It makes things easier on you if you can find a series or author whom your child particularly enjoys. Your librarian can also give invaluable advice on selecting books or helping your child stay motivated with reading.

Remember that your child doesn’t have to physically read every book (unless they need to work on their reading skills!). Many children love to be read to and can listen for much longer than adults realize. Reading age-appropriate educational books or novels to your children while they color or build LEGOs primes the pump for deeper learning.

Enjoy Nature

Let your child soak up nature, get their energy out, and learn educational concepts all at the same time! Parks are wonderful ways for children to enjoy the outdoors but try to plan times to get away from manmade play structures. Even in cities, there are accessible parks and nature preserves where your child can appreciate the beauty of nature.

Plan to walk a nature trail, take a hike, or visit a creek or river. You can make each visit new and exciting by:

• Take along a plant, bug, or bird field guide and identify what you see. 
• Create or print a scavenger hunt list
• Using packing tape, wrap a strip around your child’s wrist so the sticky part faces out. Have your child stick flowers to their wristband for their very own nature wristband.
• Bring along a child’s camera so they can take their own photos
• If your child likes to draw, bring a sketchbook and pencils
• Collect special rocks, nuts, sticks, and fossils. 

Plan a Trip to a Museum or Zoo

Many cities have excellent art, history, or science museums. Zoos and aquariums are another excellent choice for a fun, educational outing. You can often get a discounted price when going with a group, so round up a group of friends and have your own field trip!

While at the museum, zoo, or aquarium, have your child make notes of things they find interesting. Then use your library’s app to find books that relate to these subjects and keep the learning going!

Math is Everywhere

Humans use math all day, every day, whether we realize it or not! Math is not just addition and subtraction; it’s shapes, patterns, measurements, dimensions, and much more. 

The more you can point out math in everyday life, the more motivated your child will be to learn these concepts. 

For young children, books, playing with LEGOs or blocks, and discussing shapes and patterns is sufficient to retain math concepts. But for older children, you can download a math app that makes math fun for summer.

Have a Plan… and Stick With It!

Remember, you’re the parent and you set the rules! Carefully consider reasonable educational goals for the summer, set up a tantalizing reward system, and stick with the requirements you set forth.

Many parents choose to have children get their educational subjects accomplished before allowing access to technology. This is an excellent way for children to stay motivated. Additionally, it can be wise to set a time limit on how many video games or apps children play so they naturally find other things to do.

Write out your plan and print off a daily checklist. Just like everything else in parenting, consistency is key! If you and your child stay accountable to the summer plan–giving rewards and removing privileges as necessary–then your child will be more than ready for their next grade level.

Summer at Children’s Academy

At Children’s Academy, we have a daily routine that reviews learned educational concepts and introduces new ones! Our teachers love to read books with and to their students to maximize learning. When you enroll your child in Children’s Academy over the summer, you can rest assured that your child is getting all their summer education and preparing for the next school year. 

Let’s face it: life is hard! Jobs, budgeting, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, meetings, doctor appointments. These and countless other pressures can at times feel overwhelming to adults.

While we tend to attribute challenges and difficulties to adulthood, this doesn’t mean children don’t experience their own struggles and challenges on a daily basis. Even in the most idyllic childhood, every child will experience fears, frustrations, and disappointments; these are inescapable. 

What makes the sun peak through the clouds when life gets hard? While a raise, an indulgent dessert, or some peace and quiet might give temporary relief, one thing can make a world of difference to a discouraged soul:

Encouragement!

Why Encouragement Means So Much

We all have that friend or family member who listens and lifts us up when we’re down. They have an innate ability to speak encouragement to our soul and say just what we need to hear. 

Children are people, too! They need to hear encouragement just like adults. Our challenges may look different, but we all have a need for encouragement.

Only affirmation, encouragement, or positive feedback motivates you to do things well–and to do even better than you were! The same goes for children. Children are deeply motivated to want affirmation from others, and encouraging desirable behavior, skills, and attitudes is the best way to have these habits stick around. 

Encouragement is an excellent way to build perseverance in our children. When a task feels challenging or impossible to accomplish, encouragement helps it feel possible again. This leads to a greater chance for success, boosted self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment.  

Where Do Children Get Encouragement?

But who does a child look to for encouragement? While parents and teachers should help children develop the skill of encouragement, it’s rare to find mature encouragement in a peer age group. This means children look up to the adults in their life for life-giving words.

We can all agree that whether good or bad, what our parents say to us sticks with us for a lifetime. Parents should choose our words carefully and make them count. Encouraging words are incredibly powerful. 

Parents should be the biggest cheerleaders in a child’s life! You can be the wind in your child’s emotional sails when you give genuine encouragement.  

How Does Encouragement Help Children?

Think of the peace, pleasure, and motivation after an encouraging talk with a friend, therapist, or loved one, and how your challenges seem a little smaller. Your children experience these same emotions!

The National Association for the Education of Young Children lists the areas in which a child’s demeanor changes when they have encouragement. They:

•  Are usually in a positive mood
•  Listen and follow directions
•  Have close relationships with caregivers and peers
•  Care about friends and show interest in others
•  Recognize, label, and manage their own emotions
•  Understand others’ emotions and show empathy
•  Express wishes and preferences clearly
•  Gain access to ongoing play and group activities
•  Are able to play, negotiate, and compromise with others

Encouragement is one of the biggest blessings we can give our children. Not only does it build a positive relationship with them, but they’re able to experience life with greater joy and more gumption. 

Tips on Giving Encouragement

Ready to give your child more encouragement? Here are some tips:

Encourage, Don’t Flatter

There’s a huge difference between encouragement (Merriam-Webster: “to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope”) and flattery (Merriam-Webster: “to praise excessively”). Encouragement is beneficial, but flattery will simply give your child a big head. 

Choose to inspire your child’s spirit with courage and hope instead of praising them excessively. A strong character and spirit will uphold a child when challenges come, but flattery gives a child little hope. 

Make It Count

We’ve all heard the saying that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. If you give encouragement for everything your child does, encouragement can begin to lose its meaning. While you do want to encourage your child often, you also want to make your encouragement count.

Take some time to reflect on some specific ways in which your child could benefit from encouragement. Perhaps they struggle with math, temper tantrums, picky eating, or countless other areas. Then pay particular attention to these areas and be quick to encourage, even at the slightest of improvements.  

Encourage Character, Not Results

It’s easy to focus on separate actions or choices your child makes: share your toy, study hard, don’t be mean. But good choices and behavior often flow from quality character. Encouraging your child in their character development will yield lifelong benefits.  

For instance, “You were so kind to see your friend was sad and share your toy” is better than “Good job sharing.” Or, “I’m so proud of your diligence studying this week” is better than “Good job getting an ‘A’.” The first statements encourage the child to develop quality character, which will benefit them their whole life, not just for sharing toys or getting good grades. 

Make Personal Connections

Another way to encourage a child’s character is by revealing how their actions have affected you or someone else. For instance, extend your encouragement from “Thank you for picking up your toys” to “Thank you for picking up your toys; you’ve made our house feel tidy again,” or “You’ve helped me so much by picking up your toys.” 

Helping children make connections between their actions and the effect of those actions will help them make better decisions in the future. They will be more likely to be cheerful, helpful, and considerate.

At Children’s Academy, we use the power of encouragement every day! We strive to help children grow to their fullest potential.