Jumping in to rescue your child at the first sign they might be struggling with something might be instinctual as a parent, but unfortunately, this can teach kids to be overly dependent on you and could make them feel that they’re incapable of solving problems themselves.
Allowing your child to tackle a task independently will build their confidence and encourages them to use critical thinking to get the job done. They may not get it all right the first time but learning to use their imagination and intuition to try and tackle a problem is a priceless skill to develop.
Children asking questions about the world around them is a brilliant sign of intelligence and curiosity. To encourage them to think even deeper, try to respond to their questions by first asking them what they think the answer might be. If they ask why the sky is blue, first ask them what they think the answer is, and why.
It doesn’t really matter if the explanation they arrive at is right or wrong, the process of trying to figure it out will strengthen their critical thinking and encourages them to try and work things out independently before they look to others for answers.
You can of course give them the correct answer once they are done, just be sure to praise them for using their imagination to try and work it out.
Maybe they can think of where to look to find the answer, such as science-based websites aimed at kids or books they have at home or in the school library. As they get older they need to look at the sources of information and be able to assess if they are accurate and worthy. All information sources aren't equal and the difference between fact and fiction, objectivity and subjectivity could be discussed.
*Collaborative post.
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