By: Michael Grose
When parents solve all childrenโs problems we not only increase their dependency on adults but we teach kids to be afraid of making mistakes and to blame themselves for not being good enough. Thatโs fertile ground for anxiety and depressive illness.
So, how can we raise kids to be courageous problem-solvers rather than self-critical scaredy cats?
Here are six practical ideas to get you started.[pullquote]We need to be careful that we don’t sabotage children’s efforts to be independent problem-solvers[/pullquote]
1. TURN REQUESTS INTO PROBLEMS FOR KIDS TO SOLVE
Kids get used to bringing their problems to parents to solve. If you keeping solving them, theyโll keep bringing them. โMum, my sister is annoying me!โ โDad, can you ask my teacher to pick me for the team?โ โHey, I canโt find my socks!โ Itโs tempting if you are in a time-poor family to simply jump in and help kids out. Alternatively, you can take a problem-solving approach, cuing them to resolve their own problems and take responsibility for their concerns. โWhat can you do to make her stop annoying you?โ โWhatโs the best approach to take with your teacher?โ โSocks, smocks! Where might they be?โ
2. ASK GOOD QUESTIONS TO PROMPT PROBLEM-SOLVING
A problem-solving approach relies on asking good questions, which can be challenging if you are used to solving your childโs problems. The first question when a child brings you a problem should be: โCan you handle this on your own?โ Next should be, โWhat do you want me to do to help you solve the problem?โ These questions are not meant to deter children from coming to you; rather, to encourage and teach them to start working through their own concerns themselves.
3. COACH THEM THROUGH PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS
So, your child feels she was unfairly left out of a school sports team by a teacher and asks you get involved. The easiest solution may be to meet with the teacher and find out whatโs going on. You may or may not resolve the problem but in doing so you are teaching a child to become dependent on you. Alternatively, you could coach your child to speak to the teacher herself and find out why she was left out. Obviously, there are times when children need their parents to be advocates for them such as when they are being bullied, but we need to make the most of the opportunities for children to speak for themselves. Better to help your child find the right words to use and discuss the best way to approach another person when they have problems. These are great skills to take into adulthood.
4. PREPARE KIDS FOR PROBLEMS AND CONTINGENCIES
You may coach your child to be independent โ walk to school, spend some time alone at home (when old enough), catch a train with friends โ but does he know what to do in an emergency? What happens if he comes home after school and the house is locked? Who should he go to? Discuss different scenarios with children whenever they enter new or potentially risky situations so that they wonโt fall apart when things donโt go their way. Remember the Boy Scouts motto โ be prepared!
5. SHOW A LITTLE FAITH
Sometimes youโve got to show faith in children. We can easily trip them up with our negative expectations, such as by saying โDonโt spill it!โ to a child who is carrying a glass filled with water. Of course, your child doesnโt want to spill it but youโve just conveyed your expectations with that statement. We need to be careful that we donโt sabotage childrenโs efforts to be independent problem-solvers with comments such as, โNow donโt stuff it up!โ โYouโll be okay โฆ wonโt you?โ โYouโre not very good at looking after yourself!โ
6. APPLAUD MISTAKES AND STUFF-UPS
Would a child who accidentally breaks a plate in your family while emptying the dishwasher be met with a โThatโs really annoying. You can be clumsy sometimesโ response or an โIt doesnโt matter, thanks for your helpโ type of response? Hopefully it wonโt be the first response, because nothing shuts a childโs natural tendencies to extend themselves down quicker than an adult who canโt abide mistakes. If you have a low-risk-taking, perfectionist, consider throwing a little party rather than making a fuss when they make errors so they can learn that mistakes donโt reflect on them personally, and that the sun will still shine even if they break a plate, tell a joke that falls flat or donโt get a perfect examination score.
This is an extract from Michael Groseโs new book “Spoonfed Generation: How to raise independent children” thatโs been released nationally by Penguin Random House. You can get your copy now atย parentingideas.com.au