Do you struggle to find ways to keep your kids occupied and excited throughout the hectic schedules of school and other extracurricular activities? Are they always on the go, causing you to worry that they won’t have enough opportunities to play and simply be children? To reduce these stressors and ensure that your child avoid getting spoiled by all the attention, here are some helpful tips on how to let your kids be children without spoiling them.
Contents
Overview
The phrase “spoiling your kid’s character” often pops up when people talk about letting kids be kids. It’s a negative way of looking at things and it implies that there’s something wrong with letting them have fun, explore their interests, and enjoy the benefits of childhood. On the contrary, letting your kid be free allows them to grow and explore in a natural way. They learn by doing, and this is why it’s important to support them in their positive side as much as you can.
To keep your kids from becoming spoiled, spoil them instead. In other words, there’s a fine line of letting kids be kids while also not letting them get so much time alone that they stop growing up and start stagnating. If you’re new to the term, here’s what it means to spoil your kid: Give them privacy when they need it, let them be independent but still check in on their activities periodically, and take care of their emotional needs as well as their physical ones.
Teach by playing
Kids are apt to learn by imitating what adults do. Sometimes, this can even be a good way to teach them the basics of life and adulthood, like how to make and communicate with others. However, children are still developing and need to explore their world through play for at least part of their development.
While you can’t expect your child to be an expert at every task when he or she is only five or six years old, you can teach your child important skills by having fun with them while they learn. There are times when you might want to actually teach your child something by playing, but you should do it sparingly so as to not overburden your child. Moreover, you can also try experimenting with different ways of doing that to find what your child likes the most.
Be a role model
You can help your child learn by being a good role model. As a parent, it’s your job to show your child how to live a full life, with all of its ups and downs. Attempting to avoid these is not the path to success. You can show your child the proper way to deal with stress and depression by being a positive example in your own life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work or if you’re experiencing a difficult period in your personal life, don’t let that overwhelm your child. Instead, be the example that your child should follow.
Give your kids their space
You might feel that constantly on your kids’ tails is the best way to keep them occupied and under control to avoid spoiling your child. While there may be some truth to this, it is only a small part of the truth. You should also allow your kids some time to grow and develop by themselves. If you constantly pry into their lives and tell them what to do, they will become self-conscious and will feel pressured to conform. However, if you allow your child some space, he or she will be able to get out of their comfort zone and explore new ideas.
Let them use their imaginations
Don’t keep your kids from bringing out the imaginations inside them. While you should encourage them to follow a certain path and pursue certain interests that you have yourself, you should also let them discover their passions and hobbies on their own. If your child is into sports, don’t constantly try to push him or her towards something else. Instead, be supportive of your child’s interests and let him or her pursue them on his or her own terms.
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Don’t hover
As parents, you have a huge responsibility to help your kids navigate the tricky social waters of everyday life to avoid spoiling your child. Sometimes, this means keeping them from making mistakes that they might otherwise learn valuable lessons from. However, constantly hovering over your child will make him or her self-conscious and will cause him or her to feel especially pressured to conform to your expectations. [s] Allow your child to make mistakes and learn from them. However, don’t hover over your child, constantly offering advice and keeping him or her from doing things on his or her own.
Don’t bribe your kids
You have to give your children an example of how to live their lives, but you shouldn’t bribe your kids into following that example. While it’s okay to give your child some treats or rewards for doing the things that you want him or her to do, don’t bribe your child into doing those things.
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Take a break once in a while
It can be a bit overwhelming when your child is constantly surrounded by people who are constantly asking him or her questions, trying to explore, and prying into his or her personal life. It can be stressful and overwhelming to constantly be on your child’s toes, especially if he or she is younger and doesn’t yet understand the concept of “no.” If you feel like you’re on the verge of a breakdown because your child is constantly on your toes and you can’t relax, take a break. Go out to dinner with your family and friends and just let yourself be free from your child’s constant demands for attention.
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Don’t push too hard
If your child seems bored or just doesn’t seem interested, don’t keep pushing him or her. You don’t want to alienate your child with a constant feeling of being pressured to follow his or her interests. If your child doesn’t seem interested in a certain topic or hobby, don’t force him or her to do it.
Conclusion
To avoid spoiling your child, he or she should play and explore. They shouldn’t be expected to follow a traditional path and go to a specific job. Your child is an adult in his or her mind, and you’re the one who is supposed to help them explore and find what is interesting to them. While you can’t prevent your child from making mistakes, you can help him or her by showing them the right way to walk through the world. Let your child explore and give him or her the space to freely explore without constantly hovering over them.
