The learning curve for problem solving starts with the minutest of attempts. Children, by their very nature, are astoundingly curious and full of potential to learn new things. They are natural problem solvers, with the ability to think up a million creative solutions to a problem. During a child’s formative years, parents often hope to fan the child’s curiosity to foster learning. However, parents often fail to realize that sometimes the biggest hindrance to the child’s learning curve can be the parents themselves! This stems from the fact that parents wish their kids to have comfortable lives, which leads them to assist their children even in the simplest of tasks like zipping up their bag, opening their water bottles and untying their shoelaces. Although doing these things may save you some time, such acts encroach upon the child’s moment to organically solve problems.
Problem solving is an incremental process, meaning that a person cannot go from zero to building rockets. There is a plethora of things they must learn to build in between. Similarly, a child’s learning process starts with them solving the negligible problems of daily life. Nevertheless, this does not mean that parents should completely distance themselves from their child’s education. Children often ask a lot of questions and whenever this opportunity presents itself, instead of pawning it off as “You should ask your teacher tomorrow”, a parent should make the effort to help their child. Active participation by the parents can further fuel the child’s curiosity and help the child
develop a healthy problem-solving ideology. Furthermore, there are many activities that the parents can participate in with their children to get the mental stimulation their child requires. These can range from simple puzzles and scavenger hunts to mazes and escape rooms.Aside from fostering creative thinking, this can also serve as a good bonding experience, and one that the child will remember for years to come!
In conclusion, supporting your child is not counterproductive, however, the method by which you support your child can have a major impact on the child’s growth. One can either choose to be an overpampering parent that unknowingly strips the child of growth opportunities by doing their tasks for them or they can be a parent who supports the child by engaging them in problem-solving activities and meaningful conversation. The choice is yours!