Building Strength in Your Child
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Sometimes in our desire to be good, guiding parents we tend to focus on our child’s faults or mistakes so we can help them improve. It’s a natural instinct and you’re not alone. People are programmed to notice the bad first. It’s how our earliest ancestors survived, always on the alert for signs of danger. Even though we no longer have to be on the constant lookout for trouble, we still lean toward negativity. And this can extend into our parenting.
Focusing on your child’s strengths rather than weaknesses leads to a more positive self-image and greater self-awareness and confidence.
✔️️ Find your child’s strengths.
Don’t try to improve challenging areas because this may cause our child to view themselves as broken rather than focusing on their strengths.
To begin, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is my child’s gift?
- What is their unique ability?
- What do they live to do?
Nothing is more important to a child’s welfare than to be surrounded by adults who see the best in them. Knowing your child’s strengths helps them in several ways.
✔️ Make it fun!
Try some awesome activities like biking, singing, board games, storytelling, acting and role playing. Fun activities help our child to learn many skills in an enjoyable way.
✔️ Meet your child where they are.
How else can we meet our kids where they are? Offering validation and empathy is much more effective and compassionate.
✔️ Create rituals and routines.
Here are some benefits our child can gain from a consistent routine in daily life:
- Increased confidence and independence.
- Greater self-control
- Stress reduction
- Exposure to healthy habits
✔️ Be kind to yourself.
You weren’t planning on navigating a special needs journey when you set out to be a parent. Coming to terms with the unique challenges brought by ADHD in kids takes time, patience and self-compassion.
Coach Benjamin Mizrahi. Educator. Learning Specialist. Family Coach. Father. Husband.
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