MMH # MOMTIPS
During the first years of a child’s life, an important set of cognitive skills known as problem-solving abilities are developed. These skills are used throughout childhood and into adulthood.
Preschool is the best time for a child to learn to problem solve in a fun way.
To know how to develop these skills, read on:
- Encourage creative play
Remember wooden blocks?
How about building a fort from available material? Kids of all ages learn most in the context of play. Make sure their play involves enough challenge and requires imagination. Eventually, problem-solving becomes its own reward.
- Don’t be a “Helicopter Parent”
Give your child some space. Whatever age your kids are, allow them to make mistakes and teach them how to move forward.
- Routinely ask your kids for help
Make sure the children understand that you respect their capacity to solve problems. Practice brainstorming as a family. You’d be surprised at how creative they can be.
- Provide multiple potential solutions
Whenever it is possible, facilitate decision making. Keep the ball rolling by making sure your kids don’t routinely avoid making tough choices because you automatically issue a default solution that’s nonnegotiable.
Do follow these and very soon you will see your child solving big and small problems on their own.