Does your child have preferences for a few specific fruits and vegetables? Are they reluctant to wear the same dress day after day? If yes, then you probably need to encourage them to try and experience new things. Undoubtedly, every kid is different. While some kids are comfortable with trying new things, others may find it difficult to experiment.
As parents, you know that trying new things leads to learning. New experiences can be challenging for children as they can evoke anxiety or make them feel vulnerable and overwhelmed. But if you want to raise a confident, curious and independent child, introducing them to experience everything life has to offer plays a pivotal role in their overall growth and development. So the big question is – what can you do to encourage your child to try new things? To help you get your little one out of their nutshell, experience new things in life, we have listed a few tips here. Keep reading this article to know the tips.
1. Start Small
You all know that there are no shortcuts to success. So to motivate and encourage your kid to learn things, you must take baby steps. For young minds, it is much easier to overcome small challenges and manage them with confidence. Not only will this spark their curiosity, but instil a love to learn, experiment and nurture their creativity and imagination.
2. Give them a choice
If you want your little munchkin to become more active or try a new activity, always give them a choice about what they actually want to do. Think about your child’s interests, personality and things they like when suggesting ways to try something new. Very active children may like to play sports, or action games, shy or quieter children may prefer word games, cooking etc. So always give them two or three activities as options. Doing so will help you engage your kid in different activities and help you know their likes and dislikes.
3. Try Doing Things Together
Some children are generally afraid of failing and making mistakes for several reasons, such as past experiences, temperament, environment, and many others. This often stops them from trying new things. One way of encouraging them to overcome this fear is to join them and do things together. Engaging in activities, particularly the ones you think your kid is bad at, is one of the perfect ways to help them come out of their comfort zone, take risks and explore new things. In addition to this, it is also important to let them know that you are there to help them if they get stuck at some point.
4. Encourage Efforts
While constructive criticism is important to help children know what did not go right, if you praise the parts of their successful efforts, it shows your kid there is more than one way to do something. Also, it gives them the motivation and confidence to do better next time. As parents or adults, you might not have an idea of how much bravery it takes to try something new, no matter how simple it is. But for children, trying new things never becomes easy, so be sure to recognize their efforts and praise them as it makes them even more willing to do better in the future.
Final Words
To help and encourage your child to take up risks, try their best, learn from their mistakes and reach their full potential, you must help them overcome their fear of attempting something new. These tips will surely help children build confidence to try new things. Over time, your kid will no longer fear taking up new challenges; rather, they will embrace them. At The Blue Bells School, we believe that the minds of young learners are full of ideas. All they need is just a little push to move forward and showcase their creativity to others.
