Childhood Development
Seven Ways to Develop Confidence in Kids
Raising your child to become an adult who makes beneficial decisions and who lives to serve others starts with a confident kid.
Healthy communication
We love the scripture from James that reads, “Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” Getting this ingrained in your child's heart and mind will yield logical communication and help to slow emotional bursts.
After a meltdown, your child is most likely looking to know that you still love them even though they have big feelings and that you still care even when they mess up.
Allow mistakes
It doesn’t matter how old you are when you make a mistake, doesn’t it serve as the best form of a lesson? The same should apply to our children!
Whether
Repeat after us: I am not a helicopter parent! When you’re always there to catch them when they fall, it communicates that they are not smart enough, strong enough, or good enough to.
Listen to them
For example, when they say they are full and don’t want to eat anymore, it’s important to honor their appetites. Children who feel like they’re not being heard or listened to will find ways to prove themselves, and these usually aren’t so pleasant.
Provide challenges
Something we love saying to our students is, “You can do hard things!”
Children operate at their best when they can anticipate what’s to be expected. Boundaries are so wonderful because they establish structure and a firm foundation, things that are necessary for a confident child.
Worship together
Nothing will build confidence and boldness in a child-like the presence of God. Once they learn that they can run to God no matter how shaky they may feel, a lifelong habit will be built
3 Strategies to Implement and Increase Learning Moments a Home
But even the best curriculum and teachers can’t assist with what happens at home.
Strategy 1: Problem-Solving Situations
Strategy 2: Vocabulary and Knowledge Games
Strategy 3: 1 and 2 Step Directions
Reinforcing Good Behavior No Matter Where You Are (or Who You’re With)
Raise your hand if this has happened to you too many times… You’ve been working diligently with your 4-year-old on hitting and personal space. They’ve made incredible progress and even stopped hitting when younger siblings steal their favorite toy (parenting win!). But as soon as the Saturday playdate begins, boom! A smack to another little friend leads to tears quicker than you can say, “What did I do wrong?”
Sometimes, it can feel like your child's environment might derail all the hard work they have put into good behavior patterns. Or worse, the friends they’re around might not be on the same behavior journey. This doesn’t have to be the case, and there is an easy way to keep the behavior consistent no matter where you are or who you’re with.
While natural rewards and natural consequences are excellent teachers, another method of reinforcing good behavior no matter who, what, where, when, or why is the token economy. It’s a one-stop-shop to track, encourage, and reinforce good behavior from school to home to playdates.
Here's how to create your token economy system:
We want you to know that you don’t have to be the perfect parent to parent well. We are here with you every step of the way to cultivate your child’s mind, heart, and emotions to the fullness of what they were created to be!
Parenting Highlights: 4 Fun Ways to Grow Your Child’s Servant’s Heart
It’s a rule of life: childhood habits often grow into adult lifestyles! Servant leadership is something that we believe you can never start early enough, and when a child is taught to serve others like Jesus from a young age, it becomes ingrained in them for years to come. Whether you’ve just started teaching your child the importance of serving, or you’ve established servant’s habits, here is a quick list of 4 fun ways to get your kids thinking about how to bless others!
Emphasize Empathy
When your child understands how good it feels to be served, it will help them understand why they want to give others this gift. Jesus taught us that the golden rule, treat others how you’d like to be treated, is a standard that can help us stand in love with our neighbors, friends, and siblings. Having simple conversations like, “Wasn’t it kind how Suzie brought you a snack today when you weren’t feeling well? Do you know someone who isn’t feeling well that we can bring a snack to?” Your child will soon learn that they can bring a smile to someone else’s face and that there is no sweeter blessing than this!
Talk About Needs
When you are out and about with your child, teach them to be on the lookout for how they can bless others. Making up Ziplock baggies for homeless people is a tangible way to get kids thinking about how others have unmet needs that we can help fulfill. Just get a large bag, fill with water, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, granola bars or non-perishable snacks, and a Bible verse. Not only do they get to give back, but they can learn about compassion as well.
Assign tasks for your little helpers
How many times a day do we hear “Can I help?” as parents? One of those sweet questions our kids ask can help grow them into lifelong servant leaders. Depending on your child's age, you can assign them to turn on lights, set the table, bring food for friends, or write cards to sick family members. It’s best to think about your child’s certain set of strengths and talents, and emphasize this when helping them determine how to serve others around them!
Model it!
Children are some of the best imitators the world has to offer. And this a great thing that we can use to our advantage, parents! As our children see us thinking of others, helping those around us, and offering our time and gifts to improve neighbors' lives, they will see the fruit that comes from this kind of lifestyle. Practicing what you preach is always the best parenting method, and servant leadership is one of the most beneficial practices we can implement.
5 Flu Season Preventatives
If the past 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that few things give us optimal health like washing your hands. But hand-washing isn’t the end all be all trick to stop the Flu virus in its tracks. And in the colorful world of your growing child, sometimes masks and social distancing aren’t even an option. Here are five easy ways to help keep the Flu and other unwanted illnesses far, far away.
AH, AH, AH… CHOO-se to cover that sneeze or cough!
In all their adorable expressions, our little ones don’t always practice cleanliness the way we would hope. With every mini cough or tiny sneeze that comes from their mouths, another friend is close by to receive the incoming germs!
Let’s teach our kids to cough with their hands covering their mouths and sneeze into tissues, which means teaching them to ask for tissues. We can reward this behavior with the token economy at home to bring consistent slowness in the spread of sickness. Need help with your token economy at home?
Play MORE!
Staying active is one of the most effective immune boosters because it releases hormones and chemicals in the brain that give the immune system a burst of energy!
Whether you bike ride, run around or play a sport with your child, any extra activity will help with healthy blood flow, oxygen flow, and flexibility, giving your child the boost to withstand any illness that may come their way.
Don’t skimp on nap time!
We all know how important sleep is for our growing children, but the same power nap that has endless benefits for adults also helps kids! Most of the recovery of our tissues (muscles, skin, etc.) happens while we sleep. If your child has problems sleeping, play soft music, or diffuse calming essential oils.
Sharing isn’t always caring
Kids that share toys are 75% more likely to contract illnesses. Since we can’t run after a child with a Lysol wipe, encourage kids to choose a toy that they will be happy playing with until playtime is over. This way, passing around un-sanitized objects is kept to a minimum.
Whole foods for whole body care
Here at Fiorella, we believe that God has given us foods to help heal our bodies. We prioritize health and whole foods at school, and carrying that home to your child’s snack and dinner times will help keep their little immune systems on the defense! Need a few easy recipes that your child will love eating?
3 Ways to implement and Increase Real-World Learning Moments
Repeat after us… learning moments don’t end in the classroom! As your child is met with new knowledge, fresh thinking skills and deeper levels of application during their time in our classrooms, the opportunity for an at-home learning adventure goes on. Truth be told, it is actually the moments away from the iPad and in a real-life situation’s where children can apply all that our teachers have been working on with them at school. Here are three ways that you can continue the learning journey inside your home and create an atmosphere of learning and wonder wherever your little one is!
Strategy 1: Problem-Solving Situations
Many times, it seems that parents avoid situations where their child needs to make a choice or solve a problem, especially in the early years. However, these are actually the most powerful moments to instill in their little minds how to live as an overcomer and contributor. We love using these three questions to not only get them thinking but to foster strong communication:
- What is the problem? (identification)
- How can we solve this? (critical thinking)
- Let’s try it! (removing fear of failure)
Allowing them to see two options, and choose the better one, or find a hindrance and solve a way around it builds confidence that will only grow as they do!
Strategy 2: Vocabulary and Knowledge Games
These formative years of your child’s developing brain are a place to build flourishing language and communication skills in years to come. A great way to hone these skills is to work on classroom vocabulary and knowledge application during some of their favorite moments with you.
Maybe your child loves helping with dinner. As they’re assigned a task to help, have them repeat the words of the object they’re holding (“this is a spatula”), or have them count the amount of potatoes going into your dish.
During family game night, have children set up the game by counting out game pieces, or identifying colors. Or when you’re driving to-and-fro on errands, ask them about animals or colors passing by in the window. The opportunities are truly endless!
Strategy 3: 1 and 2 Step Directions
A child that understands and listens for directions is more likely to give to others, walk in leadership and execute tasks efficiently. While we’re absolutely not building little robots, we definitely do want to cultivate servants’ hearts, and that comes by looking and listening for ways to follow directions, aka doing things for other people.
1 and 2 step directions can look like this:
Child wants to spend time with you or play while you’re wrapping up your workday. Clearly communicate that if they can get ready on their own, then you both get to play sooner. The dialogue could go “Tommy, get the soap and wash your face how we’ve been practicing” or “Arianna, get your shoes and put them on your feet.” You can use a combo or just one of the things you’ve been focusing on so that they already know how to do it.
Whether on a playdate or getting ready for bed, integrating 1 and 2 step directions sharpens their respect, obedience and thinking skills.