Parenting
5
Ways to Raise Fearless Kids
Read story books
The world can be a scary place for a child. There are so many different experiences to navigate; first steps, first words, first day of school, new friends, new experiences, learning new information and feeling strange emotions. So, how can families help their children to be courageous? This article offers a few strategies parents can embrace to nurture courage within their child.
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Your Local Families Magazine April / May 2019
Story books are a powerful tool for teaching concepts and social situations to children. Reading story books about characters being brave, like Fearless by Colin Thompson, can offer insights into scenarios and are a great stimulus for discussion. Most importantly, reading story books equips children with the vocabulary and language to be able to express their feelings.
Push boundaries Expose children to lots of different experiences which will push them outside their comfort zone. It might be encouraging them to try a new piece of play equipment at the park or signing them up for a new sporting team at school. Gently nudging and pushing their boundaries will not only give them the opportunity to accomplish a new skill but also the dispositions and confidence needed to successfully embrace challenges in the future.
says: “Feeling uncomfortable when learning is all part of learning. As adults we tolerate frustration as part of our learning process; we are not rescued when we can’t do something.”
St Margaret’s Head of Primary Angela Drysdale
“We are teaching our students that the pit is
Refer to The Learning Pit from British educator and researcher James Nottingham. The Learning Pit is a metaphor for helping students to understand the learning process, including the discomfort we experience when faced with not knowing.