Our children are richer when we let them know that we, even as adults, want to grow, too, and that we hope to keep on growing all our lives long.

When you help children learn how they and other people grow and change, you are leading them to self-discovery and helping them develop a sense of pride in their abilities.

Learning New Things

When children learn to do things for themselves and others, they can feel proud of their accomplishments. We can also help them be aware that these new abilities are signs that they are growing. Sometimes children just need your caring encouragement and supervision to give them the confidence to try more grownup tasks. When children are engaged in activities, such as preparing food for themselves, dressing themselves, and taking care of others, they learn to make choices, take responsibility, and feel a sense of competence -- what a wonderful way to learn about growing up.

Handling New Experiences

One part of growing is learning to handle new experiences that can be frightening. You can help children handle those kinds of situations when you offer them activities like role-playing and simple presentations about what to expect. When children have the chance to use their imagination and pretend about experiences like a trip to the hospital, an airplane ride, or a move to a new home, they are better prepared to deal with those situations and the feelings involved. If you give children the chance to pretend about new experiences beforehand, they will be able to rehearse and feel more in control, rather than feeling helpless. They also grow in confidence when they play about those experiences after they have had them.

Back to Theme