Mindful Parenting: Raising a Well-Rounded Child

How to Raise a Well-Rounded Child

A well rounded child is one that enjoys a variety of hobbies and activities with equal enthusiasm, They greet each new venture with pleasure, and they enjoy trying out something new. You want your child to exhibit qualities like these, that will serve them well as they grow into young adults. Furthermore, you want a curious child who is not afraid of their shadow. Breadth is where success is found, and it’s very easy to engender this in your son or daughter. Read on!

1) Athletic Pursuits
Every child needs a few activities that will allow them to develop a natural athletic ability. The most popular for girls seem to be dance, tennis, horseback riding and swimming. Boys tend to play soccer, baseball, basketball or tennis as well. However, don’t let this hold them back. Encourage your son to try out ballet or tap dance, and let your daughter play football if she wants!

2) Arts
Artistic education is vital to any well rounded child's education. You can have them enroll in a variety of classes from pottery making to drawing. Even a simple acting class is good for children to develop their social skills. I would suggest dabbling from something in each kind of art – visual & performing. Piano lessons go a long way, as do vocal lessons. Don’t underestimate the power of creative writing either!

3) Foreign Language

One of the best things to do for your child at this age is to have them begin a foreign language. Children can learn languages much easier than adults. Studies have shown that bilingual people are able to think more clearly on things like standardized tests and of course job opportunities increase exponentially with multiple languages. Help them further their ability to think analytically by starting them on a foreign language at a young age!

4) Subjects

Encourage your child to excel at many different kinds of educational subjects. If they’re all about science, encourage them to get into literature and history too. Try to make them exciting and think of new ways. If this is your child, how about science fiction? Nothing wrong with geeky kids! Geeks will be making all the money someday.

4) Imagination Station
Each child need sufficient time to imagine. Encourage them to read books, watch documentaries, play dress up or to create a fort. Let them be kids really, but never discourage one activity over another.

5) Relax
If a child is burned out by an abundance of activities, then they will not look forward to anything. Let your child enjoy a quiet moment to himself every once in a while. Saturday morning cartoons are not going to ruin them. Also, you cannot expect them to want to do everything you sign them up for. Let them drop one activity should they exhibit boredom in their daily routine. That’s just another opportunity to try something else out, even if it’s jus quality time with you.

As your child grows, you will notice that they will begin to develop more substantial interests. Let them pursue them more by allowing them to quit other less important things. Breadth is important, but so is expertise!

Twanda Quillis writes about parenting, finance & visiting websites like www.boatinsurance.org.