Monday, November 3, 2014

Parenting:Problem Solving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQrNHtq9pZY

For the children of today, being videotaped is a normal occurrence. Some children see their parent's phone as often as they see a face. I am not sure if this is a good thing, but I did notice something good about this particular clip.

Dad was too busy catching the moment for youtube to stop and solve the problem for his daughter.

I know this is a good thing.

I get so thirsty watching this clip I just want to show her how to do it. But, she is developing her brain. God created children to learn by watching others, by trying things, by learning from what works and what doesn't work.

If we interrupt this process, too often, we tell the child that learning is about someone else giving you the answers. When that happens, children begin to get frustrated when they can't make something work right away.

It's okay to let children explore - even if they are temporarily going in the wrong direction. They need to learn what doesn't work as well as what works.

I suspect this dad eventually put down his phone and helped his daughter get a drink. Sometimes we need to do this for our children.

There is value in allowing them to explore and solve the problem under their own power.

Think: Find the Answer, not Give the Answer

No comments:

Post a Comment

I would love to see your comments and suggestions to fellow parents.