Problem ,Solving ,Becomes,Real ,Problem ,Parents ,Student,Solve,OwnHow on earth can we expect our students to be successful if we’re spending all our time trying to solve their problems? We know how good it feels figuring things out. So if we know this to be true as adults, why can’t we step aside and allow our kids to experience this for themselves. If we want our kids to define their own success we must allow them to be problem solvers.
Children must learn to navigate in order to be prepared for the rest of their lives.
It’s a process in which we learn from our mistakes and work through our problems to get the skills/smarts necessary for the next part of our lives. Because of this, it is important we allow our children to solve their own problems rather than rescuing them at every setback.
Solving problems prepares students for life.
If a child never learns how to walk because she is carried around all the time, she will never learn how to jump, climb stairs or ride a bike. Developmentally, it’s obviously important to take things one step at a time. But, if you never learn to take steps, it’s near impossible to do more difficult things later.
The same goes for problems. If a child doesn’t learn how to solve 2-year-old problems, they won’t be adequately prepared to handle 3-year-old problems. Similarly, if they aren’t able to find solutions to problems in their teens because a parent always bails them out of difficult situations, they will clearly struggle as adults. Check out this statistic – By not teaching children to solve their own problems, the potential for drug and alcohol abuse, criminal activity or having your adult children live with you into their 40s are increased risks.
Learning to deal with problems cultivates independence.
By allowing and teaching them to solve their own problems, they will gain independence and be able to get along in the world without constant guidance. They will need to get a job, go to college, pay bills and rent, do their own laundry, cook their own meals and maintain a vehicle. These are all situations that are more easily handled if they earlier had the opportunity to figure out problems on their own.
Solving their life problems helps them to think and understand.
As children deal with problems, they will learn to navigate life. The perspectives they gain can teach them empathy, an understanding of how the world works and how to get along with others. They will need guidance, but parents can’t, and shouldn’t, always hand them solutions on a silver platter.
If they can learn to succeed with other personalities while they are young, they are more likely to be able to handle work relationships, work in groups of people, know how to compromise and ultimately get along with others in various social and professional situations.
By finding their own solutions, children will gain confidence and self-esteem
We can all remember when we finally overcame a problem we had struggled with and the pride we had, as a result. As children accomplish milestones and achievements on their own, they will build confidence and self-esteem, believe in themselves and understand that they can do hard things.
Going through trials and tribulations are a part of life. If we try to protect them from hard times, we will actually do more harm than good. Always solving our kids’ problems leads down the horrendous path of never allowing them to fail. And we know the outcome of that. So please take care of this problem.
This column is by Ritchie Lucas, Founder of The Student Success Project and Think Factory Marketing. He can be reached at 305-788-4105 or via email at ritchie@thinkfactory.com and on Facebook and You Tube as The Student Success Project.
