As parents, we all love to see our children happy and thriving. We provide them with endless opportunities to explore new ideas and learn new skills, all in an effort to see their faces light up with wonder, joy, inspiration. We endeavour to see our children find something they are passionate about and are motivated to excel at again and again.
Parents can support their children from a very young age in discovering their talents and passions. Children who experience the thrill of loving something that they are also talented at are likely to be more confident, happy, and motivated as they grow up. Early experiences of success can influence a child’s decisions throughout their life.
Exploring the Options
Exposing children to as many different experiences as possible in their early years is the first step towards helping your child find their passion.
Often, childhood passions can be traced to meaningful experiences.Taking them to different parks, indoor playgrounds, museums, art galleries, concerts, libraries and other cultural experiences are great ways to expose your child to different types of activities and a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and cultures.
A quality childcare centre or daycare facility is also a great opportunity to expose your child to a variety of children their own age to play with. Play facilitates the growth of important lifelong skills, such as cooperation, problem solving and collaboration. When children learn to play with each other, they also learn from each other, taking note of what each child’s own likes and dislikes are, often helping to strengthen their own interest in certain topics.
Nurturing their Interests
Watching children and observing their reactions is one of the greatest way to really understand them. The wonder of experiencing something for the first time is a moment to be cherished. Children are innocently honest about their likes and dislikes, and as we observe them in new situations, we can discover patterns in their behaviour, telling a lot about where their passions lie.
Reflective listening plays such an important role in observing your children in new experiences. Ask questions that reflect their enjoyment back to them, such as “You really seem to enjoy history/math/science/writing/art .. is this correct?”
Children’s interest naturally change as they grow up and are introduced to more new experiences. Just as it is important to continually support the things they WANT to do, we also need to listen when they tell us, either explicitly, or through their reactions that there is something they are no longer interested in.
Offering Support
Providing a supportive, nurturing environment is essential to helping your children navigate a world full of new experiences. As parents, we want our children to be optimistic, take risks and be open to new ideas and it is natural to expect this of their caregivers as well.
When presenting new opportunities, share your own optimism and positive expectations with your children – they will pick up on your own enthusiasm! This is especially important if you are asking them to participate in an experience that you yourself may not enjoy – try not to let your own judgment and preconceived notions affect you children’s experiences. Give them space to make up their own mind. Quite often, children find passions that are very different from their parents!
Most importantly, surround your children with passionate adults who can be role models in embracing new opportunities. Find teachers who are passionate about learning and love finding new and creative ways to engage children in learning. Children are naturally inquisitive and should be given every chance to explore new ideas in an enduring effort to discover their passions.
Alpha’s Preschool Academy and Child Care Centre is dedicated to providing children 12 months to 5 years with a quality program that helps to enrich each child’s early education through emotional well-being and cognitive stimulation. Our planned activities and stimulating interactions with peers and teachers promote raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted children.
To learn more about Alpha’s Preschool Academy, or to book a tour, please call 905-812-8880.