The two major focus areas through their kids’ childhood are – ‘How to make them happier’ and ‘How to make them a fast learner’. We always want their smile to get brighter and their brains to get sharper. We would like to suggest 5 activities you can incorporate in the daily schedule of your child to aid learning, understand them better and watch them learn with fun.
- Make them draw their thoughts
Take some time out every evening when your child is in the pink of mood, and ask them to draw just about anything that comes to their mind. Don’t give them any instructions, just hand them the drawing book and colors and make a go for it.
The biggest output from this exercise will be the assessment of your child’s mental health. Use of bright colors and happy pictures are a sign that everything in their tiny little world is going fine. If you notice usage of darker themes or sad pictures, then it is a great opportunity for you to have a small talk about it with them. Make them describe the source of these thoughts, it could be something they saw in a public place to a fight between their parents at home. It is very important you give them a chance to get such thoughts out of their system and make them look completely normal. The more your child can talk about it, the better. You can also preserve some of the artworks and show it to them a couple of years later.
- Play ‘Count Backwards’ just before bed
Counting backwards is like switching gears in your brain. It requires a higher amount of focus and gives you a rush of achieving something different. It will also build the capability in your child of staying calm and concentrating in completely unexpected circumstances. This is a fun learning activity that won’t look like a chore, rather something they will really look forward to, which in turn will make them want to sleep at the decided time.
As your child counts backward, you may notice that their mind is darting rapidly from one object of attention to another. They may be unusually aware of sounds, physical sensations, or thoughts. They may lose count altogether. None of this matters. All of these things are evidence that the technique is working. They’re becoming more aware.
- Turn everything you want them to do in a prized activity
Every task you want your kid to do can be turned into a laughing riot. Starting right from asking them to brush their teeth to finishing breakfast, make them earn something from everything. When we say “earn”, we do not indicate you using financial prizes. A prize can be something as small as a hug from you, which would mean the world to them. Set timers for every activity and if they meet the timer, they get a small chocolate or a hug or an extra piece of their favorite sweet. Think of their preferences and what they really love and decide on the prize accordingly.
When they are chasing the clock for these activities, the first advantage is that all the mundane activities become important for them. They will start seeing value in having a routine and following it. The second benefit out of this will be enhancement in “smart work” when they will constantly want to outdo their target and hence find smarter alternatives or ways of doing the same tasks every day.
We wish you a happy learning fun-filled journey for you and your precious little one.