Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk: Why Mistakes are an Integral Part of Growing Confidence

Children are inquisitive by nature and are experiencing everything for the very first time. This thought is sometimes lost on us as we, as adults, get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. Often times, we forget that what we may consider to be common sense is actually something that we learned over years of repetition or experience. As a result, we sometimes place unfair expectations on our children, pushing them to do things “correctly” and even disciplining them when they make mistakes. That is not to say that discipline is unfair, but rather that sometimes children need guidance instead of correction. This, in turn, teaches them self-discipline because they’ve learned from life’s natural lessons. Children have such a limited set of knowledge and experiences, so mistakes are bound to happen. After all, nobody knows what they don’t know. It takes practice, along with lots of trial and error, to get things right. Mistakes should not be looked down upon, but rather celebrated!

Making mistakes is not the same as failing

As the saying goes, “to err is human”. Just because things didn’t go the way we expected does not mean that it’s a failure. It’s important for children to recognize their mistakes so that they can grow from them, and in time learn to correct them. It is vital that we as caregivers help guide them through the reasoning process of recognition and correction so that they can develop the skills to do so themselves. It is often difficult to refrain from simply fixing the problem for our child, however problem-solving is an important life skill (one that goes hand in hand with critical thinking) that can be translated to every aspect of adult life. Whether it is family life, social life, or in the professional realm, the ability to efficiently solve problems is highly valued. This skill, when fostered properly in childhood, can massively benefit more than just the individual and leads to confident and competent adults.

Mistakes teach resiliency

Resilience is defined as: “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness”. The ability to fall down, dust yourself off, and try again does not come easy, but is highly valued. Often, we see our young children becoming frustrated when they cannot do something. This frustration, while difficult to deal with in the moment, is actually fueling them to continue on. This builds character, confidence, and above all shows children that they are capable of so much. Isn’t that what we all want for our children? They truly are our future, and the sky is NOT the limit for them. Their potential is unending, and the more they recover from their mistakes, the quicker they will see that. Again, cleaning up their messes for them may be easier, faster, or more efficient, but allowing them to experience it teaches something much more important. They gain a sense of independence and pride when they look at their work and see what they’ve accomplished, whether it’s tying their own shoe or cleaning up spilled milk.

The Importance of Culture in the Early Years

Raising our children to become competent and empathetic adults requires a level of societal and cultural understanding that is best taught in the early years of their life. Celebrating various cultures teaches children about our differences as well as what makes us similar. Learning about different cultures promotes tolerance, acceptance, socialization, and creativity, among many more values that are vital to producing kind and loving humans. Below are some ways you can share your culture with others, as well as expose your child to new cultural ideas.

Music

Children love to dance and sing, and much of their language development comes from songs. Multicultural music is an accessible tool that you can utilize to introduce new languages, ideas, and values to your little one. Fun and easy ways to incorporate these songs into your child’s everyday life is by introducing songs that they are familiar with in different languages (for example, the ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc.), watching videos of live performances, dancing together to the music, and building a playlist of multicultural songs to play in the car.

Food

Introducing a variety of foods to your child in the early years of their life is beneficial for various reasons, including sensory development, establishing a well-balanced diet, and expanding their appetite. Adding cultural appreciation to this list is an added benefit! Trying new foods can be scary, but it can also serve as a warm welcome to a world full of adventure. Some ways to introduce multicultural foods to your family’s palate are by trying new restaurants, cooking new recipes (this is a great opportunity to make memories with your little one as well!), and hosting or participating in potlucks with friends that have different cultural backgrounds than you.

Movies and TV shows

In today’s society, it is easy to find media that is diverse and inclusive, which is great! Exposing your child to TV shows and movies that represent ideas and values that differ from their own gives them an opportunity to find parallels between their lives and those of the characters on the screen. Yes, we may look, speak, or live differently, but we still share so many similarities! Culturally diverse TV and movies also show a deeper level of cultural practices of the characters that may otherwise be missed in other forms of media.

Books

As we know, books are an integral part of your child’s education. We can all learn from what literature has to teach us, and that includes diversity. Reading to our children teaches language, social-emotional regulation, and life skills. There is no better way to encourage tolerance and diversity than by cozying up with a good book!

Finding Magic in the Mundane: A Guide to Teachable Moments

You've heard the expression “children are like sponges”, and as the parent of a toddler, you’ve probably seen the extreme accuracy in that. As adults, we sometimes forget the incredible wonder with which children experience the world, and sometimes discount their ability to remember details. Little minds see the world with so much curiosity, and you as their parent are the first line of defense when it comes to satisfying that curiosity. Below are some ways you can foster your child’s growth and help them learn from even the simplest experiences.

Answering questions

Toddlers are notorious for asking the world’s most daunting question: why? Sometimes it can be a little tricky navigating a child’s mind, but the most important thing we can do as caregivers is to answer their questions as truthfully as possible (within reason, of course). When “why?” has been asked for the millionth time and you’ve exhausted all possible responses, a great way to encourage deep thinking in the mind of your little one is by giving them the good old Uno reverse card; ask them what they think about the situation. This gives your child an opportunity to think deeply and critically, as well as express their own thoughts. This will also open the door for dialogue between you and your child and has the potential to expand their vocabulary and literacy.

Reading

It is undeniable that books have a huge impact on the education and development of children. Reading fosters growth in literacy, imagination, empathy, problem solving, cognitive skills, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and so many more crucial developmental fields. An article by Child Mind Institute points out that children who are read to daily are exposed to at least 290,000 more words by the time they enter kindergarten than those that are not. Isn’t that incredible? Keep in mind that learning doesn’t have to be strictly academic; fiction books are at just as much of a capacity to educate your child as non-fictional ones. Authors such as Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, P.D. Eastman, and Giles Andreae have written fun and engaging books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers that can teach them important knowledge outside of their ABCs and 123s.

Imaginative play

Children learn best through playtime. Being an active participant in your child’s play satisfies not only their need for parental attention but also gives them an opportunity to explore many different ideas. Their imagination is a vast sea of possibilities, and by observing and participating in their play, you can learn about their interests as well as their personality. It is true that when children engage in imaginative or dramatic play, often times they imitate things that they see or experience in their daily life. This tends to be their parents, siblings, teachers, and community members. Children can learn so much about social interactions and emotional regulation through this type of play. Academics are something that children will learn as they age and move through school, however social skills are something that are best taught in the early years in order to produce confident and competent young people.

Outside play

Children have a natural affinity for being outdoors, and many child psychologists and educators believe that they learn best by exploring nature. In fact, the word “kindergarten” comes from the German word kinder, meaning children, and garten meaning – you guessed it – garden. Friedrich Froebel, the creator of the first kindergarten, had a philosophy that is similar to the modern 4-H philosophy; hands-on learning, as well as free self-expression, creativity, social participation, and motor expression. Through outside play, children can learn about the natural world around them as well as learning empathy, respect, and their own physical abilities. Engaging in outside play allows a child to explore their own environment, learn about their place in the world, and gives an opportunity to gain knowledge in math, science, language, literacy, art, and so many more fields. This can be as simple as making mud pies in the backyard or going on a walk through the park!

Children are constantly learning, and their brains are constantly working to make sense of the world. As their parent, you are their very first – and most important! – teacher. We can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our day to day lives, but our little ones remind us to take a breath and stop to play in the dirt. You never know what you’ll learn along the way! They can teach us just as much, if not more, than we could ever teach them.