publication date: Apr 23, 2007
There’s so much emphasis of children
excelling in all areas these days that parents can lose sight of the fact that their sons and daughters need to
play and have fun! Some children are whisked away every day
after school to some lesson or activity when really a child needs to go home and
just chill. So when you are planning activities make sure your child isn’t being
overloaded!
Do:
- Allow your child the opportunity to explore different activities but not too many at once! Try to get a balance between being physically active and learning skills like a musical instrument.
- Offer encouragement and help with practice sessions - ten minutes every day on the trumpet is better than a hurried and stressful hour the day before a music lesson.
- Set targets if necessary. If there’s a badge or grade you can encourage working towards this. Giving a time-scale may help.
- Negotiate an agreed time to try something new before giving up.
Don’t:
- Make a heavy financial commitment before you know if your child is really interested. For instance many music shops lease instruments or they can be bought relatively cheaply second-hand or on a buy-back scheme. Some schools provide the instrument on loan and you pay for lessons.
- Impose your own interests. Your passion for hockey or ballet may not have been passed on to you child. Or he or she may just be too young for it.
- Put undue pressure on your child - he might just not be ready to devote himself to that particular hobby. Once something becomes a chore, fun goes out of the window.
- Let her make too many commitments - it may be that her lack of enthusiasm is caused by having to spread her time too thinly.
Older children
As soon as a child has some
understanding about money, planning and saving you can involve them more in
decisions about starting or giving up hobbies that require some
financial outlay.
Once a child has reached
year six at school (age 10/11) or above, this should be
automatic. If your child has a
history of giving up on pastimes and wants to start
something new and expensive, suggest he:
- Does without any new kit until he has proved his interest.
- Borrows or hires any equipment needed.
- Saves his own pocket money/birthday money to pay a percentage of the cost. It’s amazing how having a financial commitment manages to focus a child’s mind!
Older children may still need
adult help and encouragement to maintain their interest. If the activity is one which
leaves you cold, an aunt, uncle, cousin or neighbour might be able to offer their
support.
Children who
achieve and are
well motivated are those who are supported and encouraged at home. Children have to learn that to
acquire any skill takes time and practice and that is something they also learn by the
example of the adults around them.
