Whether you like it or not (and whether it’s coming from you or elsewhere), there is tremendous pressure on kids today for finding a passion—as early as possible. Part of that is only natural since we, as a species, tend to want to find what will propel us forward into a great life. But part of the pressure comes from external sources or a competitiveness that isn’t always healthy…or helpful. We worry about our kids getting so wrapped up in mindless television and the latest tech devices to the point that they aren’t nurturing their inner genius, whatever that may be. But sometimes when you push too hard it backfires.
Child development specialist and behavior expert Betsy Braun Brown says, “Parents can actually extinguish the very spark of interest by lighting a backfire of lessons, coaches, and activity immersion. Sometimes dabbling at this and that during the child’s unstructured time—wandering, exploring, discovering, and developing an interest on his own—is plenty good enough.” So practice a little patience and love and follow these 10 ways to help make finding a passion fun for your kids.
1. Encourage Exploration
Rule number one when it comes to finding your passion—dare to explore. Kids have a natural sense of curiosity that you should nurture as much as you can. Encourage them to try different activities and have new experiences. This way, they’ll try on a few things to see what they love and what they’re good at.
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