Wow, guess what? Time really flies! We’re just eight days away from ushering in the year 2018. You know the drill…it’s that time of the year where New Year resolutions are being concocted! While it’s good for one to make promises in the name of self-improvement, for parents, you may want to remember that you have another responsibility besides coming up with your own resolutions, and that is training your children to hatch their own pledges and stay true to them for the whole year.
So, in the spirit of New Year, we have asked a few parents on how well they have applied our previous advice on New Year resolutions for their children (https://www.www.q-dees.com/blog/2017/07/25/8-new-years-resolutions-your-child-can-adopt/) together with stories of the challenges in realizing their children’s annual pledge. Having said that, we are tying this blog post with the aforementioned blog post and listed down the possible roadblocks and suggestions on how you can really hit the eight New Year resolutions for your children right in the bullseye!
- Eat more fruits and veggies each week
The challenges
At best, the greens are left untouched on the dinner plate. At worst, your children covertly stuffed the greens in their pocket as you beamed with a false sense of pride upon seeing the absence of spinach and broccoli on their plate. Fresh fruits? Not a chance, unless the fruits are industrially converted into juice box or frozen yogurt!
Solution/s
Kids don’t understand the concept of healthy diet as we adults do. Simply saying “You have to eat spinach because IT IS GOOD FOR YOU!” won’t cut it. A protip: capitalize on your children’s obsession with their role models. For boys, usually they will look up to superheroes that embody strength, chiseled physique and machismo. For girls, they probably idolize strong, beautiful female characters on the big screen (cue Wonder Woman’s theme song!). Why not come in from these angles and encourage your children to eat more greens and fruits so that they will be as strong and beautiful as their role models?
- Learn a musical instrument
The challenges
Costly musical classes? Are your children not interested in classical music?
Solution(s)
If you think you have to fork out a large sum of money to pay for your children’s music class, think again. You will be surprised at the range of free musical courses available online! There are dozens of free tutorials on Youtube, from guitar, saxophone, violin, and even kompang! If you are looking for accredited programmes by a certified instructor, there are online learning portals to cater to your children’s talent with reasonable fees. With these online channels, your children will enjoy the freedom to learn at their own pace. Another important note; don’t forget to let your children play the genre that they like. While “My child can play Mozart, Bach and Chopin on the piano!” is one way to impress your friends and families, there is nothing wrong with your children jamming to the contemporary tunes of Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, and Alicia Keys. Use this as a motivational strategy to drive your children’s enthusiasm to learn music!
- Make more friends
The challenges
Your children’s circle of friends doesn’t extend beyond the kid next door and the kid who sits next to them in the classroom. In the absence of these two, your children find it difficult to step out of their comfort zone and make connections with other kids in the school, playground and birthday parties.
Solution(s)
Set a good example for your children. Be polite and respectful when you interact with your spouse and the others around you. Children who see themselves in a social environment that cares for other people are more likely to have better social skills. And did you know that it is human nature to gravitate towards a group of people that shares the same traits and preference? For example, if your children love to tinker around with electronics, why not sign them up for an after-school robotics class? Kids are no different than adults; we tend to socialize better when we are in a group of like-minded people. In due time, your children will improve their social skills that can be applied out of their comfort zone.
- Practice makes perfect.
The challenges
Let’s face it, one of children’s least favorite word is the ‘P’ word. To them, the command equates to running around in the same circle on a regular basis. Sulking, yawning, and rolling eyes are a few reactions that you can expect whenever a repetitive act of discipline is demanded from them.
Solution(s)
An important reminder: children need time to understand the value of practice and delayed gratification. It may be hard to push them through the first few rounds of practice, but once they can see the reward that comes with hard work, they will be more receptive to the concept of practice. Let’s do a throwback to point number 1 regarding role models to drive home the message of practice. Did you know that Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, swims a minimum distance of 80,000 meters a week to prepare for a competition? Bruce Lee also once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”
Stay tuned for the second part of this article next week, where we will cover the rest of the resolutions!
By Ahmad Hisham
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At Q-dees, our award-winning best preschool programs offer subjects in Math, Science, Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, Gymflex, Art and Music.
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