10 tips for building a child’s well being
Here at Crawford Childcare, Glanmire we take a pro-active approach to supporting a child’s well-being through the curriculum. These 10 ideas used as daily habits will give your child the best chance possible to become a creative confident child.
Be aware of your behaviour: You’re child will do as you do. Do you have minor tantrums when things go wrong? Can you stay calm during difficult situations?
Be willing to say no: Children will naturally ask for things they can see. Saying “no” will give them an opportunity to deal with disappointment and to learn impulse control.
Start coaching: Coaching your child will help them to be more responsible. Instead of “Get your hat and gloves”, you could ask “What do you need to wear to crèche?”. Constantly telling your child what to do does not help them to develop confidence and responsibility.
Think about your responses: Most problems in families get bigger when parents respond to them in a way that makes the problem worse. If your child makes a mistake, remember how crucial it is for you to have a calm, reasoned response.
Get your child involved: Research suggests that children who are involved in household tasks from an early age tend to be happier and more successful. They are made to feel that they are an important part of the family. Children want to belong and to feel that they are valued.
Encourage play: Playing actively rather than sitting in front of a screen will help your child develop creativity and problem solving skills. Allow your child time to play. It is also advisable to monitor what your child watches as some elements of the mass media can encourage negative behaviour.
Let your child know what type of behaviour you like: If you notice your child doing something which is uncaring, tell them. Rather than saying “You’re not nice” say something like “When you took your brother’s toy, it made him cry. That wasn’t a nice thing to do. It would be nice if you shared your toys with him and I know he would like that too.” If your child learns that caring behaviour is important to you, these behaviours are likely to become important to your child.
Talk about feelings as a family: Help your child identify what they feel by being specific with your questions. It is often helpful to ask, “Are you feeling sad?” or “Are you feeling angry?” Pay attention to your child’s response to your questions. Your goal is to help your child identify and deal with their feelings and to work through them.
Don’t try to distract your child from their feelings: Don’t belittle your child when they are hurt by saying for example “A little scratch like that doesn’t hurt”, or “Big boys don’t cry”. Acknowledge, empathise, let your child show you what happened and give them time to deal with it.
See your child as wonderful: There is no greater way to create emotional literacy than to see your child as wonderful and capable. Every child has their own unique talents and sharing these will increase their sense of self worth.