5 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Discover Life

 Here are how my conversations with complete strangers at the library have been going recently:
   Them: "How old is he?" (pointing to my 2 year old)
    Me: "He's two."
   Them: "How did you do it?"
    Me: "Do what?
    Them: "Teach him the alphabet?"
    At that moment I realize that once again he has chosen to read to himself one of the dozens of ABC books the library has to offer.
    Me: "Oh, nothing really."

    

They always look at me in disbelief when I say this and then follow up by saying "Well, you're lucky. I have been trying to teach this one (pointing to a three or four year old) for some time and they just don't get it!"

I have been reflecting on these conversations, and I realized that I haven't been completely honest with these poor mothers. I don't tell them that while they were rejoicing over their baby's first words and sentences, I was fretting because Ira wasn't showing any willingness to talk. But finally at 19 months he said something I could understand while we were reading an ABC book- the letter "x". I then surrounded him with letters, and he eventually learned the alphabet, which was followed by words, and recently the letter sounds.
  

Do you see how I wasn't being completely honest? I didn't do "nothing". I (not fully comprehending what I was doing at the beginning) encouraged his interest! 

 Is he a great talker yet? Nope. Does he like to help with house chores? Nope. Does he like cars and farm animals? A little. But he sure loves his ABC's.  So that is what we focus on and encourage.

I think it is so important to focus on the child's needs and interests instead of worrying if they are learning "what they are suppose to know." So if my toddler loves the alphabet, and yours loves building with blocks, that is okay. Encourage what they love, and the rest will come. 

Photo Credit: navigatingbyjoy.com

The good news? It is SO easy to encourage your child explore what they are interest in! Here are 5 suggestions to help you in your journey:

1. Explore all sorts of subjects and fields- Just because Ira likes the alphabet doesn't mean that is all we do is sing ABC's and point out letters that we see. We  (try) to expose him to other things, observe his responses, determine what he is interested in, then write down what we notice.

2. Come up with ideas to discover new interests- I think this is the hardest part. Write down ideas of how you can help your child discover and learn more about what it is they are interested in. Since I have already done the alphabet (I still look up ideas at The Measured Mom), I am currently making a list of science projects to do, because that is what he seems to be interested at the moment. Making a list makes it easier to do the next step...

3. Surround them with the new interest- bombard them with everything you've got! Print printables, buy toys, watch movies, pretend play, etc. Do whatever it takes to give them a complete immersion. So with the alphabet and Ira, we bought alphabet blocks, watched tons of Super Why, read lots of ABC books, and pointed out every letter we saw while we were at church, the store, in the car, you get the picture. 

4. Give them as much time as they need to learn- Don't give them a limit. Even if you never want to play vet ever again, or the thought of printing one more princess coloring page makes you want to scream, do it! Set it up so that it is easier for you. If it is safe, give them access to everything they need for their interest. 

5. Switch it up sometimes- after following the 4 previous steps, you will probably find that your child will get tired of whatever it is they are discovering. No one likes the alphabet more that Ira, and yet he gets tired of it sometimes (although not very often). Because of this I make sure we do at least one thing different every day. And occasionally I introduce something he has never done before. Someday (it hasn't happened yet), he will find something else he is obsessed with, and then we will switch over to it. 

Hopefully these 5 suggestions will help you one your way to sitting back and watching your child learn and grow by simply encouraging what they love!