When children are settled into a single activity, whether it’s sports or videogames, it can be difficult getting them to expand their horizons. However, broadening your child’s interests can help them grow up to be more well-rounded and more accustomed to change and variety. Children sometimes have a hard time dealing with new experiences, but with these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to better introduce your child to the many hobbies and activities life has to offer.
- Share Your Experiences: By nature, children learn from watching and listening to their parents. Sharing your own experiences in certain activities helps them grow more comfortable with the idea of trying it themselves.
- Talk about the Activity: Before starting a new activity, talk about it with your child. Learn a little bit about it together before having them dive into it. The more you talk about the new experiences, the more they can envision themselves doing it. Just like getting to know a person, you need to get use to new activities to truly build a passion for them.
- Explore the Possibilities: Look over several different activities with your child and talk about the pros and cons of each. While you may have a good idea of what activities they would be best suited for, it is important to work with your children in deciding which activities they would be most interested in.
- Use the Trial Period: You don’t have to plunge your child into doing an activity they have never done before. Stay with your child while they test the waters. If your child is learning a new sport or instrument, watch them while they practice or attend their first few lessons. If you can tell your child isn’t settling into the activity, try something else.
- Encourage Persistence: It’s true that practice makes perfect, but your child may not want to believe it. Encourage them to stick with their new activity without turning it into a chore. If they don’t like the activity, find out why and either remedy the problem or find something new for them to try.
