Worried that your child isn’t prepared to face the unimaginable future by themselves? As caregivers, we always want to help our kids safely navigate through all the obstacles and problems. We can’t always be around to solve everything for them. However, we can help them build relevant life skills and competencies at an early age so they can successfully take on challenges in life. As Bruce Lee said,
“Instead of buying children all the things we never had, we should teach them all the things we were never taught. Material wears out, but knowledge stays.”
Here’s a look at critical life skills that empower children to balance studies and chores with leisure, personal time and relationships with little intervention.
Observation
Like a sponge, a child’s brain absorbs information from their surroundings. Early childhood research states that learning happens best when children carefully monitor and interact with people and objects in their environment. We could help children hone their observation skills by asking them questions that require descriptive or narrative answers. Memory games and visual puzzles are great tools as well! Observant children gain significant insights from their surroundings in order to chart their course and make important decisions in life.
Active Listening
Active listening, one of the most sought-after life skills, allows children to understand people and their perspectives. Individuals who listen are often great communicators because they can express themselves in a way others understand. It helps them collaborate with others, resolve issues and build trust. Storytelling is a great way to improve active listening in little ones.
Quick Thinking
Quick thinking enables children to respond in the face of emergencies. One of the most important life skills, it is crucial for goal-setting, planning, problem-solving, and staying focused on a task at hand. We can help children develop their quick thinking skills by putting them in situations that put their decision-making and action-taking abilities to the test. The top preschools in Bangalore incorporate hands-on activities like martial arts (for self-defence), emergency drills (for personal safety amid hazards), first aid administration, etc., to sharpen children’s thinking abilities.
Creative Thinking & Expression
Creativity, an important 21st-century skill, is important for ideation, innovation, design thinking and problem solving. Creative thinking allows children to look at an incident from multiple angles and find the best way to tackle or relate to it. Likewise, creative expression allows children to express their thoughts and ideas in multiple ways. Art and craft, music, dance, drama, roleplay, etc., are great avenues for channelling children’s creativity and enhancing their imagination.
Management
When we talk about management skills, we automatically relate them to a professional environment. However, it’s not so! From coping with feelings to making sound investments, efficiently utilising the resources for different tasks, and dealing with people, management skills find their application in all our day-to-day activities. Letting little ones plan their weekly schedule and meals, involving them in event planning, asking them to plan their expenses, taking their inputs for planning the monthly household budget, etc. are some ways to build excellent management skills. Moreover, children should also be taught to manage their diet, lifestyle, day-to-day chores, savings, and expenditures. It eases their transition from school and college to professional life.
Social Responsibility
Giving back to the community creates a sense of belonging. When children do little things for others, they not only feel good about themselves but also forge strong bonds and make a positive difference in other people’s lives. Therefore, as caregivers, we need to make children aware of their responsibilities towards family, society, and the environment. The top preschools in Bangalore observe special occasions like Family Day, Earth Day, World Environment Day, etc. and hold events like cleanliness campaigns and voluntary donations to make children aware of their social responsibilities. These activities create opportunities for little ones to practise and imbibe values like empathy, gratitude and kindness by giving back to the community.
When children start developing critical life skills in early childhood, they can excel not just academically and professionally but also in other aspects of life.
Looking for the top preschool in Bangalore that can give your child a good start at life? Chrysalis Kids’s Early Years Programme is based on experiential learning that allows building of foundational skills needed for life.Our CRISP program places equal emphasis on Life Skills and Enrichment activities to provide a holistic development for our children. Click to know why Chrysalis Kids is the best preschool for your child!