Why Kids need more than just Encouragement
“A toddler while learning to kick a ball; throws his leg up in the air, and falls on his back on the ground with a thump.. with his head hitting first..”
Now what a parent is supposed to do??
A. Never allow him to play football after that?
B. Hover around him like a helicopter trying to safegaurd him at each step??
C. Scare him so much that he won’t even touch a ball ever again??
D. Ignore as if nothing happened and let the child manage on his own?
Every parent reacts in this situation based on his/her parental instincts or personal behaviour and personality. Some are more paranoid, while some are lesser; although every parents gets worried for own children and care about them.
Which category parent are you??
A / B/ C/ D
However reaction of parents and their way of handling situations play major role in building up child’s own personality or instill fears in him accordingly.
Kids teach us so many things in life and make us realize the mistakes that we make unknowingly.
Mine has taught me that they are mentally stronger than we think. They just need our love and empathy!
Every parent in this universe wishes their child to be strong enough – both physically and mentally – to fight the world on his/her own. But we can’t see our babies getting hurt too.
Kids love to play and run around, and falling on ground or getting scratches, bruises, cuts is inevitable. Rather these are an important part of life for growing and learning.
A parent’s heart breaks to see their baby in pain.
We tend to panic the moment we see the little one tripping over trying to control his/her body movements and learning to walk. We rush to pick them up when they lose balance while trying to kick a ball and topple over.
So, What we should do –
- Run and pick them up , and panic?
- Ignore them?
- Ask them to get up on their own?
Well!! Neither of these is perfect answer.
Read Things a New Mom Wants to Say
Sharing here with you something I read somewhere and realized the mistakes I was doing. Have tried to follow few things which have worked so far.
Whenever my toddler falls down or trips over or gets hurt, I used to ask –
“Are you hurt? Is it paining?”
To which, the boy would reply –
“Yes I am hurt” or “It’s paining” expecting a big hug and kiss.
Then I would soothe him and motivate him by saying –
“You are going to be fine” “Thik ho jayga”
“You are a brave boy, try again” with cuddles and kisses.
Gradually, the little boy has understood the concept and knows that he needs to pull himself up but his mom is still going to comfort him, no matter what!
So he has himself started repeating the words –
“I will be OK. I am a strong boy” “Thik ho jayga”
“Let’s try again” – and encourages himself to get up and go again…..
A child is emotionally fragile and vulnerable at younger age, and they require their Emotional Quotient to be attended as well.
Harsh motivating words or stricter attitude might work well in some situations, but not all children are alike. And one thing every child deserves is EMPATHY and EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.
Scaring them too much might make them lose self- confidence or never even dare to try anything they “think” might be difficult for them.
Encourage the child, as that’s what adults do, but also make them feel safe and understood. That their pain and suffering is not neglected.
Read Why You Should Not Stop Oil Massage For Kids
Avoid using rude terms like-
“It’s OK”, “Get Up”, “You are fine”, Don’t Cry”
As for a tiny baby, even a minor scratch is too much painful to bear. Undermining their pain totally will leave them with impression that if their feelings doesn’t bother their own parents, then who else will understand them, who else can they relate to in this world if not own folks. This can make them anxious, loose self-confidence, and emotionally disturbed.
The more a child feels emotionally secured and protected at younger age, the more he/she is likely to develop fighter attitude and learns to handle unfavorable situations in a better way. Physical strength is directly propotional to mental strength and so psychological responses in an adverse condition contribute majorly to physical strength.
It’s more like – “Get up and Get it” – but they need that mental power and self-encouragement to pull themselves up and overcome whatever hinderances they had.
When parents understand children, their emotions, their fears and support them positively; then only they grow up as Empathatic and Confident Individuals in life.
Instead of “telling” the child – “You are Ok”; let the child reassure himself that “He will be Ok and he will be fine”.
Choose words and the tone carefully while talking to children, as they deserve and require understanding and affirmations. Rudeness or blunt motivation is incomprehensible to the young minds.
Empathy, love, support, and positive encouraging words is all it takes to nurture a tiny seed into strong plant.
Cheers!!
Follow on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube for more ideas and interactions. Also do subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss any updates about new craft ideas and posts.
Subscribe to get NEW POSTS & FREE PRINTABLES in your Inbox.
Disclaimer: This printable material is for personal use only. You may download & use and even blog about it, but a back link to the post is must. Tag @Momlearningwithbaby on social media (Instagram/Facebook) while sharing.
No selling or commercial use of printable material is allowed.
Copyright © momlearningwithbaby
*Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, means, I will earn a commission if you make purchase using my link by clicking through and purchasing, at no additional cost to you.
I am taking my blog to next level with Blogchatter #MyFriendAlexa
I really liked how you explained the situation by giving a real time life example. It becomes really important for the parents to handle the situation in balanced way – not too protective and at the same time, not too carefree that the child feel ignored, unloved and unwanted.
Aww such a lovely post and I love the way you had explained everything. Honestly I was an overprotective parent, when my girls were little. But now with the passing time I had learnt that kids just need your support and guidance. As you said rightly we parents get unnecessary anxiety sometimes.
I have never been overprotective parent. Because my mother is not. She is the best example how kids should be taken care of the without making them emotionally weak. A balanced way of pampering them and at the same time making them ready for tough calls is formula that can do wonders.
Those are some real life situations. Parents have to find a balance between being over protective and under protective. Our goal should be to keep our anxiety level in control which help kids in handling their emotions well.
Absolutely kids can sense our anxiety
oh gosh trust me this is exactly what i do. i was wondering why my answer was no to almost all your questions. phew! im doing something right at least hehe.
Cheers mommy.
You have penned the dilemma of parenting styles so well, and drawing it from real time examples is very helpful. Absolutely loved it!
Thank u
So relatable post. well said choose the words and tone wisely, as some times our words and tone scared our kids more than any injury. I love the sentence “Are you ok? Is it painful? how politely you have mentioned the right way to express the concern of both a protective and strong parent as well.
Loved the way you shared with live examples. Most parents these days are helicopters only. Over protective and mollycoddling. Kids tend to grow up to be weaklings like that.
So true, I will choose option D from your option and Yes, it is important to encourage them with soothing words. mostly my so n say I am strong boy or when it pain too much. he says”mere strong khatam ho gai hai” and climb on my lap.
Great post. I dont run to my children everytime they fall or fail to do anything. I ask the to dust it off and try again. I see that as the only way to raise confident and independent kids.
Emotional Support is so important!
You have put it so simply. It is so important to develop the Emotional quotient of the children!
Exactly!
Words are powerful. When I was a teacher, my biggest accomplishment was getting a boy who barely spoke in class to raise his hand to answer a question.
It’s a very good post. You have explained everything in a thoughtful and interesting manner. And I totally agree with you. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for reading,
Brilliant post. Forwarded it to my sisters. Tone matters the most. You have said it so simply, so beautifully. Thank you for this post.
Wow so happy to know you found it useful. Thanks you for sharing.
One of the most beautiful and practical posts. The tips here are extremely useful, completely agree with the choice of words and the warm hugs.
Usually, parents get panicked when their child is in pain. Balancing between overreacting and staying calm is the key to handle the child. Nicely put:)
Words can take over the world. Encouragement is definitely important but we as parents have to go beyond that
well written and explained! indeed, the emotional quotient is what ensures the child can manage the upheavals in life with more comfort. And this is a skill that parents only can teach.
Absolutely. Well said.
How beautifully you have described the magic of words Kinshoo…. As they grow up and learn everything from their parents.. it’s so necessary to react and act in affirmation.
Totally. Thnks for reading
This post is definitely an eye-opener for many parents. I loved the way you have explained the concept using real-life scenarios. Luckily, for me, when Ayaansh was toddler, he used to fall but give a smile and tell me it’s fine and try doing it again and again. So, I never had to bother him with any questions. But obviously, when we in bed or alone, I used to gently enquire about the scenario and he would just tell me it’s fine.
Things only got worse if my in-laws were around and their reaction would scare him and make him cry and he would look at me for comforting. But I agree with you, every parent is different and every parenting style is unique too.
But the common thing here is children who just need empathy, patience, some love and care to nurture and support them.
Exactly. Every child has different needs and different way of reacting to situations.
Encouragement to kids goes a long way especially when it’s done by a parent or by a teacher. Kids are fragile at a tender age and they need our support and love to blossom into a beautiful being.
We are still so anxious and overprotect her. But not able to get over it. Such posts definitely give a piece of great knowledge and inspiration
Glad to knw.
It’s true a child needs constant encouragement and empathy. Beautiful write up.
Absolutely loved it. The explanation is so lucid and the way you have given real-life examples makes it very relatable. Looking forward to reading more!
Those options you wrote about are too good. I am taking a lot from this post.
So true! We need to be more empathetic and encouraging when parenting!
https://tinytwig.in/