siliconindia | | October 20199future careers. A good way to incul-cate critical-thinking skills in chil-dren is to regularly talk to them about topics that aren't restricted to their textbooks, encourage them to share their views on current affairs & news, and to look beyond headlines and investigate what they find. At the same time, encourage healthy de-bates, as this will improve your child's ability to reason.· Improve Communication: Written and oral communication skills will eventually play a key role in every sphere of your child's life. Improve your child's written com-munication by encouraging them to participate in writing-based extracur-ricular activities. Oral communica-tion can be strengthened with regular, consistent practice ­ have children discuss their problems with you, rath-er than only telling them how things should be done. Children also learn far more effectively from positive role models, which makes it vital for you to demonstrate your own com-munication abilities and freely dis-cuss any communication challenges you may have faced.· Teach Work Ethics: Good work ethics will prove to be key dif-ferentiators for children as they ma-ture into young adults. It is therefore important to never stop stressing on the importance of them performing any task they take-up to the best of their abilities. In school, this could mean submitting projects & assign-ments on time, and making sure they prepare for tests and evaluations. Have children know that they must always strive to achieve what they are truly capable of, instead of making do with good enough. Praise children for the hard work they put into achieving something, instead of only focusing on the results. Also encourage chil-dren to take complete ownership of projects, within and beyond their aca-demia, to teach them accountability.· Train In-Time Management: Professionals today are expected to do more with the limited time and means they have, in order to truly dif-ferentiate themselves. This makes it especially important for children to be taught the basics of time manage-ment at an early age. A good way to begin is by having them buy a plan-ner, which they can use to make a note of upcoming deadlines, goals and key milestones. This exercise can also teach children to prioritize ­ they may often have to choose be-tween doing something they like, and something else that is important. Fi-nally, help children to identify poten-tial time-wasters and eliminate these, so that they can be more productive and efficient.· Advise Self-Advocacy: Most adults will eventually have to learn to stand-up for what they believe in or what they think they rightfully deserve, whether in their personal or professional spheres. These situations will always be tricky, which is why giving children enough practice in self-advocacy through their growing years is especially crucial. Instead of always intervening for children, take the backseat so that the child can take the lead and stand-up for him/herself. Be willing to listen and offer advice when asked for it. You must also lead by example and give your child enough exposure to self-advocacy through your own behaviour.I also strongly advocate the six-calibration model, to ensure that the child is able to learn and retain these lessons for life:· A Lifestyle Choice: Children often model the behaviour they see around them. In order to make a lasting im-pression on a young mind, it is there-fore important for you, as an educa-tor and caregiver, to change your own outlook towards life.· Courage with Belief: Believing in children's abilities and talents gives them the necessary positive rein-forcement to continue demonstrating appreciable behaviours.· Build Capability: Your role as an educator and caregiver is not to hand-hold children through challenges, but to build their own capacity to adapt and learn.· Confidence: Demonstrate confi-dence in the child's ability to learn and provide enough positive verbal reinforcement for them to repeat desirable behaviours· Commitment: Be committed to the task at hand, in your teaching and in your own actions.· Consistent: Consistency is key to eliminate confusion in the child.
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