Set the course today so that your child stays on the ball tomorrow
Whether someone stays on the ball at school or later in life, the foundations are laid in childhood. We give you four tools on how to help your child with this.
Perseverance plus enthusiasm plus determination results in GRIT. This is the equation of the US psychologist Angela Duckworth, which she describes with her guide of the same name “GRIT - The new formula for success: Reaching your goal with enthusiasm and perseverance. Bertelsmann, 2017). The book sheds light on what your gut or life experience tells you: if you want to master something well, you must practice - even if he or she doesn't feel like doing it at all.
Now, however, the situation is that small children have no idea of the concept of stamina; but as parents you do. That is why parents also have a key in hand to lovingly support the children and encourage them to pursue a goal. Even if it is not always easy.
Four ways you can teach your children to stay on the ball - even if they don't feel like doing it at all.
Step 1: challenge
Think of a task with your child (or together as a family) that you want to complete in the next week or two. The task should have to do with the child, i.e. something that they want to achieve anyway - or a task that they have to do for kindergarten or a hobby, for example. It is important that both the goal and the timeframe are realistic.
Step 2: support
Especially when your child does not succeed immediately, there are always moments when the desire subsides. Support each other. If your child says they can't do the task, encourage them and take them through the process, one step at a time.
Step 3: reflection
While the task is in progress, ask how your child is feeling, what is difficult for him, what would help him, but also what is easy for him or her. Often it is about asking for support and solving problems together. Step by step, one at a time. These are experiences that stay with your child for a lifetime.
Step 4: routine
If children knows that you regularly check and inquire, they also know that you care and that they can turn to you in between. It's even better if you talk over breakfast every day or once a week about the tasks that are due for the period.
Globegarden educational tip: Find out more in an impressive TED talk about upbringing, education and GRIT: TED talk
