It is said ‘Knowing the answers will help you in school.

Knowing how to question will help you in life.’— Warren Berger

Parents today are indulging in helicopter parenting. They shadow their kids at all times and at all places as they over care for their child. This kind of parenting is stunting the mental growth of a child. The genius Albert Einstein said ‘I have no special talent. I am passionately curious’ which led him to question and become a genius. As one has seen plants require sunlight to grow, kids require curiosity and the ability to question for proper growth. Parents need to encourage them in independent thinking instead of shadowing and spoon-feeding them.

The question arises on how parents can instill the art of questioning and self-learning in their kids.

A few pointers how this can be done-

Stop spoon-feeding–

• clear doubts & explain concepts but don’t control their mind
• Don’t go overboard while they learn
• Don’t keep supervising them or else they will detest learning
• Give them flexibility and let them learn at their own pace
• Just guide them but let them manage their learning independently

Make them adopt the habit of reading–

There is a saying ‘children are made readers on the lap of their parents.’

• This will increase their vocabulary & reading skills
• Enhance cognitive development of a child
• Reading skills will increase the power of questioning in a child
• The more their curiosity, the more will be their self-learning skills
• It is said ‘Children are born with all the curiosity they will ever need, it will last a lifetime if they are fed upon a daily diet ideas’
• Reading will make their brain function better and learning will be
• A child who reads will be an adult who thinks

Must Read- Homework Cheating – Why Do Students Do That?

Focus on learning, not on performance–

• Academic performance is important but overall learning should be given preference
• It is seen that the mind is not a vessel to be filled but it is a fire to be kindled
• This helps a child to question more, learn more and retain more
• Don’t pay overemphasis on grades

Help children to stay organized–

• Teach children self-organizing skills
• Let them organize their books & assignments on their own
• Guide them how they could organize but don’t butt in while they are organizing
• Let them a question while organizing
• Be patient & motivating
• It is said curiosity is the fuel for discovery, inquiry & learning
• Parents should know children will learn to explore when they are given the opportunities to do so

Foster creativity–

• Parents should give children space to bloom
• Provide them a proper playtime during which they think, put their creativity to use
• This way they will come up with wonderful ideas
• Children will build life &cognitive skills fast
• There will be less distraction& more retention
• Nurture their creativity and enrich their curiosity
• Include real-world experiences to enrich them
• Try to teach the child with nature
• Parents can try storyboard teaching, in the lines of Rudyard Kipling-‘ If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.’
• Teach a child through a hobby, this will rejuvenate, stimulate a child and he would become curious to learn
• These will help a child in problem-solving skills and not just mug the answers provided to him

In the lines of Maria Montessori

‘As children are not things to be moulded, but people to be unfolded”.

-Dr. PREETI TALWAR