7 Skills Your Child Needs To Grow Up To Be Successful

Every parent wants to see their child grow into a successful and complete person. This is why parents never spare time, money and effort on their kids continually.

For many parents, this means investing in their children’s education from early age, but the question is: Is good education really a pledge for a bright future?

Despite the fact that diplomas and achievements are required from a person to be able to advance in their career, certain skills determine the success of that same person in achieving any goal they set their minds on.

These skills are learned from young age and they are one of the key factors for a successful future.

1. THE ABILITY TO TAKE A STAND

Having their back is not enough. Helping your kids to learn how to take a stand even when nobody is around them to save the day is one of the most important skills a person can possess.

To start nurturing this skill in your child, you need to show your child that their opinion matters within the family.

Your child needs to know that you hear and understand them, so never be too short on time or words when it comes to listening to them and showing that you understand them and that you acknowledge their opinion.

Express genuine interest and encourage them to give reasons and examples when stating their opinion. Always be ready to discuss their ideas in a curious and calm manner, use words of approval more often and don’t be sarcastic or adamant when answering their questions.

2. CONCENTRATION

Children prefer to focus on what they are interested in at the moment. This trait is a great advantage when it comes to encouraging concentration and focus.

Of course, children see a role model in their parents subconsciously, which means that you need to show your focus and concentration when communicating with them.

When teaching them something or just having a simple conversation with them, remember to pay them a few minutes of your attention entirely, without any distractions.

Certain activities will help your child to learn to be more concentrated and focused. For example, when teaching them writing, ask them to draw letters on 3rd & 4th grade writing worksheets, on a whiteboard, the pavement or sculpt them out of Plasticine.

Playing board games, puzzles or drawing are also very good techniques which can improve their concentration.

In addition to all this, ask your child to notice interesting details during walks, on their way to school or just about anywhere. Tell them to look for interesting signs, cars of a certain color or model, or for different shapes, colors, and textures.

2. 2. 3. SELF-RELIANCE

It’s very important that your child learns to do things by themselves.The sooner they learn this, the more confident they will be in the future. This skill will help them cope with obligations even from an early age (for example, at school).

Think of the things that your child can do for himself/herself, such as tieing their own shoelaces, dressing themselves up, putting their toys in their places or cleaning up after themselves.

Don’t scold your children for their mistakes! Skip that part and show understanding, but also ask for a responsible behavior in return.

Tell them to think of a way they can correct that ‘mistake’ and don’t forget to be patient and encouraging. Most of all, don’t forget to praise them (the higher the difficulty, the bigger the praise).

2. 2. 4. BEING A TEAM PLAYER

There are things that a person cannot do on their own. This is why you should teach your child of the importance of building good relationships with others, showing respect and being ready to collaborate with others.

You can start this in your home, with your child contributing to the greater good of the family (of course, in ways that are appropriate for their age and abilities).

When teaching your child to work in a team, you should NEVER compare them to other kids. This can be very damaging to their self-esteem. Instead, emphasize the importance of each individual and their role in the team.

2. 2. 5. COMMAND OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The saying ‘The more languages you know, the more people you are worth’ is not there in vain. A command of at least two languages is a very good key to success, not only because of the knowledge of a language, but also because of the expanded horizons your child will have because of knowing a second language.

Young age is the best time to start learning a new language, as children possess the ability to absorb every new word on a subconscious level and produce the language they are learning with greater ease and confidence. So, if you haven’t already, give your child the opportunity to learn a new language as soon as possible.

2. 2. 6. SELF-ORGANIZATION

Self-organization is very important in the daily life of every person. This means better chances of success in everything they undertake, as there would be no dead weight being dragged behind from all the overdue activities.

The basis of self-organization lies in a well organized schedule. Plan a daily and weekly schedule with your children, while gradually reducing your involvement in the planning as your children mature and learn to manage their time by themselves.

It’s very important to strike a balance between your child’s responsibilities and leisure time. This means setting the basis of the work-life balance from an early age. A child should have enough time for games, hobbies and other desired activities and this should go hand to hand with their chores, obligations and responsibilities.

Build this balance from early age, when the ‘hard part’ is not present too much, so they can gradually understand the need for that balance.

2. 2. 7. QUIET ATTITUDE TO FAILURES

Your child’s attitude towards failures and victories will inevitably shape their self-esteem and define their relationships with other people. This means that your child needs to learn to approach both failures and victories soberly and responsibly.

Think of the way a child’s play is followed: someone loses, throws a tantrum, and the parents take the child home. This kind of behavior can have a negative impact on your child’s ability to face the difficulties of life.

While praising your kid’s successes, don’t ignore their failures. Failures are a very important element of life and you should teach them to approach them with scrutiny.

Try to discuss the failure and find the reasons that lie behind it. Of course, first let them express their emotions (to an acceptable level which would not bother other people), and then have a talk about it.

And most importantly, always let your children know that you love them and believe in them no matter what.

SHARING IS CARING!

Elizabeth Williams

A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.