Kids excel especially
in the area relating to their God given potentials. However, to get to this
point of excellence, they undergo various formative stages. The first of these
stages is the information gathering stage where they are constantly gathering
and soaking in all kinds of information processing and selection, stage which
lays the foundation for the child’s subsequent growth and development.
As a parent, you will
begin to notice the first traces of selected traits developing in your child
from age eighteen months upwards. Your baby begins to pick up basics of
language he is most exposed to. He begins to express preference for certain
activities over others. He starts to prefer certain activities over other. He starts
to prefer certain kind of foods over others. His feeding patterns and
preferences begin to emerge. His relationship with other kids or either parents
begins to be apparent. At this stage parents must help their kids properly
organize all the various and diverse pieces of information they are acquiring
in order to create the right atmosphere for the nurturing of their potentials
to excellence. The following will help in achieving this goal:
1. Start Early;
Although our fast paced
world does not give too much room for parents (especially those who work) to
invest enough time in their children, parents must carve out a routine of task
to identify certain traits that make their children special. You need to pay
attention to your children’s most preferred activities. Determine whether he
sleeps only to music or anything else; what makes him happy or unhappy; what
kind of snacks he he likes and what kind he detests. Pay attention to your
child’s play pattern and decide whether it is passive or active; etc.
2. Do Not Enforce Your Will Over Your Kids;
The Bible says in
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up your child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
While a great number of
parents have an overwhelming influence on the development of the potentials of
their children based on exposure, the children tend to separate from these
patterns as they are progressively exposed to more and more information which
trigger other potentials. Every child is uniquely wired with a God given
assignment. Every child is a solutions to his generation in some particular
aspect. It is therefore counter-productive for parent to attempt to live his
personal dreams through his child. Instead, help your child discover his
uniqueness and nurture him in that direction. Give him all the support and
guidance you can offer and then trust God to amplify whatever efforts you have
made concerning him.
3. Give Them Room To Express Themselves;
Allowing your kids
controlled expression of themselves helps them in the process of deciding early
what they want to do or be in life. In spite of the brain’s formation process
being influence by emotional triggers from available information, a child’s
peculiar flair for solving certain problems can become subdued if the room for
expression is unavailable. For instance, a child who loves to be around water
so much, he always ends up messing up the floor, might be future Olympic
champion in the making. However, this potentials could be truncated due to
total restriction from water. A parent could help this kind of child by
enrolling him for swimming lessons.
4. Talk To Your Kid: Ask And Answer Questions
The most convenient
form of expression for kids at an early stage is talking. Kids love to talk and
ask questions, especially in relation to things they are particularly
interested in. parents need to create periodic positive talk times with their
kids. Such talk time act as guidelines on activating their dreams through
potentials development. Parents can then use the information acquired during
these formal or informal session to draw patterns for discovering their God
given assignment.
Apostle Paul, in 1st
Corinthians 3:10, admonishes us to be careful how we build. Because achieving
the godly ideal of building up our children will take lot of time, love and
resources to achieve, it is important to start early and to use the right
materials so that what we build will stand the test of time.
Source: Joifull Noise Magazine
Source: Joifull Noise Magazine
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