Above: Lego truck built by Chip in May 2010, entirely on his own.
As a parent and caregiver, our choice of words can have a tremendous effect on just how effective we are in encouraging our little ones.
This applies to every aspect of their lives. If you think hard enough, young kids have lots of room for improvement in EVERY area and it is not limited to just their education.
They can always work on their manners, learn to look after themselves better and be independent, try harder at doing any given task etc etc..
Even at unstructured playtime, there is always something to learn.
On a daily basis, my boys usually spend a good 2 to 3 hrs before school and another 3 to 4 hrs after school on free-play (i.e. I don't dictate what and how they play and they play on their own or together). That is a solid 5 to 7 hrs of playtime daily!
That said, there are rules that they have to observe, or at least try to observe. Rules such as sharing, be nice to each other, no criticising of each other's creations (be it drawings or Lego or anything they make) though I do encourage constructive comments.
Marcus, being older and more experienced at Lego and drawings, used to belittle the creations of his younger brother, brushing them off as 'too simple', 'not good enough' etc. He didn't say them to hurt Chip's feelings or boast about his own abilities. They were uttered more like an honest and innocent remark, without having first considered the feelings of the recipient. He is after all, not even 6 years old!
But he has since learnt to be more encouraging and I can tell that he tries.
We also have friends/relatives who will say things like 'Oh Chip copies his brother to make this and that'. While they mean no harm, I am quick to defend Chip everytime.
'He is INSPIRED! Not copying!' I would say.
This applies to every aspect of their lives. If you think hard enough, young kids have lots of room for improvement in EVERY area and it is not limited to just their education.
They can always work on their manners, learn to look after themselves better and be independent, try harder at doing any given task etc etc..
Even at unstructured playtime, there is always something to learn.
On a daily basis, my boys usually spend a good 2 to 3 hrs before school and another 3 to 4 hrs after school on free-play (i.e. I don't dictate what and how they play and they play on their own or together). That is a solid 5 to 7 hrs of playtime daily!
That said, there are rules that they have to observe, or at least try to observe. Rules such as sharing, be nice to each other, no criticising of each other's creations (be it drawings or Lego or anything they make) though I do encourage constructive comments.
Marcus, being older and more experienced at Lego and drawings, used to belittle the creations of his younger brother, brushing them off as 'too simple', 'not good enough' etc. He didn't say them to hurt Chip's feelings or boast about his own abilities. They were uttered more like an honest and innocent remark, without having first considered the feelings of the recipient. He is after all, not even 6 years old!
But he has since learnt to be more encouraging and I can tell that he tries.
We also have friends/relatives who will say things like 'Oh Chip copies his brother to make this and that'. While they mean no harm, I am quick to defend Chip everytime.
'He is INSPIRED! Not copying!' I would say.
Copying something means producing something that is identical.
If Chip makes a Lego truck that has a little resemblance to a truck that Marcus made before, it doesn't mean Chip copies his brother.
If Chip makes a Lego truck that has a little resemblance to a truck that Marcus made before, it doesn't mean Chip copies his brother.
To me, it just means that Chip is inspired and with inspiration, he tries his best to create on his own.
Above: Front and back views of the robot that Chip made in June 2010.
Above: Front and back views of the robot that Chip made in June 2010.
This is to be encouraged. It is the same with everything else that my boys do.
I guide them to look for inspirations.
But having inspirations is only the beginning of a long journey. They need to have a positive attitude towards learning and be self-motivated to put in their own hard work and perspiration, before we can even come close to any success.
The journey is as valuable though since they learn much along the way. And why not enjoy the ride with as much fun and laughter as possible.
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