3 ways to raise your toddler to be a ‘can-do’ kiddo
#2. Practice optimism and safe risk-taking. Wheeee!
There are
many pressures on parents to engage toddlers in activities that may give them a
competitive advantage now and later in adulthood. The reality is that we may be
inadvertently crafting childhood experiences that inhibit children’s natural inclinations
and welfare—the real traits that will help children thrive as adults.
of over 100,000 college freshmen that have been conducted annually for 50
years have been showing increasing levels of depression and a lack of well-being
in recent years.
Rather
than focusing on a competitive advantage in childhood, parents may want to
focus their efforts on raising children who will succeed in an uncertain world
by carving out their own unique pathways to success.
To thrive, children will need to know how to navigate new situations, be flexible thinkers, be self-starters who are resilient, and work with others.
There are
many things you can do as a parent, supported by decades of research and evidence-based
practices, that will help you raise your child to be a ‘doer.’
The good
news? Many of these practices consist of spending positive time with your
toddler and enjoying that time with them.
Here are three
techniques for raising your toddler to be a can-do kid.
Encourage exploration and innovation.
Toddlers
love to explore. They love to touch and manipulate and use their senses. They
like to try things.
Some studies
show that toddlers are essentially “little scientists” who are wired to
hypothesize, test, evaluate, and try again.
How do you
promote these attributes? First, give kids free
time. (We know you are really bummed about this, mama. ?)
With a
little practice, your child will start to figure out what to do with this free
time and, in the process, learn to be self-motivated.
Provide
some building blocks, crayons, and Play-Doh. Let them play in the dirt and on
the playground. Take them for walks in the woods or on the beach or even around
the backyard.
Don’t critique or look for a final product. Simply chat with them, ask them about what they are doing, and share their wonder for the world they are exploring.
Your toddler will be
developing the skills needed to cognitively explore and manipulate information,
and engage in divergent thinking—the root of innovation.
Practice optimism and safe risk-taking.
We hear a
lot about overprotecting kids, but learning how to let your child engage in a few
safe (and beneficial) risks can open doors to discovering the world. The trick
is to find the balance between safe and unsafe risk-taking.
Walking side-by-side
along a creek collecting leaves together is safe as long as your child is being
attended. Allowing a child to walk solo along this path is probably not a safe
bet.
If your
tot wants to climb a tree, make sure it’s a feasible goal. Scaffold their
attempts and if they slip and fall, comfort them quickly and encourage them to
try again in the hope that they may go a little higher this time.
Your little one will
quickly learn to take on tasks that are out of their comfort zone and stick
with them through the bumps and bruises. They will measure their success in
effort and gradual progress. There’s your growth mindset, resilience, and grit
right there, mama.
Teach them to understand others.
Toddlers
are developmentally ready to begin learning how to take others’ perspectives
and develop a theory
of mind—the realization that we each have our own way of seeing
the world.
Talk about feelings and emotions every chance you get. Your child’s feelings, your feelings, other people’s feelings, and heck, even your dog’s feelings.
When you read
books together, chat about the characters and what they are thinking and
feeling. When they are playing with other kids, you can begin to help them
understand that their peers have feelings. This understanding will help your
child learn how to manage conflicts.
Help your
child practice having conversations with others—yourself, grandparents,
doctors, friends, or even the person who runs the fruit stand. Conversational
skills may help your tot hone their ability to get along with others.
Let your tot help you
around the house with little chores. These cooperative skills will help your
child to develop empathy and a sense of value for helping others as well as themselves.
Introducing
your child to these activities as a toddler will promote the 21st century
skills (e.g., creative problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and
communication) that will serve your child well decades from now. Bonus: These activities just so happen to
be what toddlers want to do with their time. Win-win.
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