“Creative abilities of the human mind are beyond our imagination and each child is born with such amazing skills, that could change our world for the better.”
“Creative abilities of human mind are beyond our imagination and each child is born with such amazing skills, that could change our world for the better”.
Creative abilities grow stronger or weaker, depending on how much we exercise them; like the muscles in our arms and legs. Unlike before, with the support of technology, we now have limitless possibilities that enable us to engage in our kid’s innate abilities. With such enormous possibilities we can today facilitate customized learning for our kids; thereby unfolding them into their best selves.
For ages, the declared priority of Parents and society is to prepare youth for attaining work as they grow up. If this was the way, we wouldn’t have ended up with such a huge amount of unemployment and a growing list of dropouts. Finding your true potential is vital to understanding who you are and what you could become in life with your innate capabilities. Knowing what your true potential is; also gives you a much better sense of direction and purpose.
The way forward is always to help children identify their strengths earlier and help them flourish through a discovery journey of experiences and realizations. This journey involves inward (Exploring what lies within) and outward (Exploring the world around).
How do we start?
The first step is to understand your kids’ aptitudes, personality traits and interpersonal abilities based on their current eco-system. This begins with an objective of understanding closely the interests of each child. Each child has an inner & outer world that shapes their personality & skills; the inner being is what they have inherited and the outer what they are born into.
@Parents: Self – Doubts are normal:-
What if my child has no special skills? or What if my child is making a wrong choice as their passion? or What if my child can’t make a living with the passion? What if?… and many What ifs?
Answer to all the above: The most important win when you chase your passion is self- fulfilment. When your child is recognized for their skills in the community they belong to, they tend to fair well in everything else they do. Precisely why, the existing educational approach with a prescribed curriculum that focuses more on academics, needs to be evolved. There are many examples of kids who were poor in academics, once they found recognition
in their peer group, has grew in confidence and started performing exceptionally well thereon.
Can we identify our child’s unique skill through an aptitude test?
Like all beautiful things in nature, the whole process of identifying a Child’s innate skills is also non-linear and not so time-bound. A child performs based on what the child is exposed till date and therefore a classroom test alone will not bring out the fire in a child. Do we directly choose a passion based on our Child’s innate skill and then choose a career based on that?
Like, say we already know our Child’s skills and we understand their passion, it’s not necessary would facilitate a career right from there; it could also be pursued because it keeps our child happy. This means unless we are clear of the career plans ahead, we can always nurture our passion alongside our academic or school curriculum; till that day we realize this is it.
Like individual passions, there is also a phenomenon of a “network of passions”, which could mostly be connected and could also lead us to a suitable career, if interested. But it all starts with a mindset to chase it.
So, what we require is an approach; where a child is put through experiences by gauging their current ecosystem. Which means, we can’t omit the occurrences and experiences of their day-to-day engagements and also need to take them through exercises that make them think critically of all their experiences. This wasn’t possible earlier, but
today with the advent of technology; facilitating 360-degree growth for each child through a customized coaching system is very much possible.
To understand this better, let’s look at a few of the areas, that would benefit the child; just because of early identification, recognition & nurturing of their skills.
- Personality Development: Early skill identification facilitates the discovery of strengths and interests, enabling a sense of self-awareness and self-confidence. Personal development involves introspection and striving for self-improvement. As a parent and an expert deeply engaged in child transformation, I feel it’s essential to instil a sense of self-worth in our younger generation, encouraging them to take pride in their individuality and continuously work towards self-actualization.
- Tailored Education: Kids learn in different ways and at different paces. Therefore, identifying a child’s strengths, including their learning style and the most optimal way of learning is essential to tailor their education. With a tailored learning environment, each individual will discover their true potential.
A ‘One size fits all model’ generic approach for all kids in a class is the reason why we often fail to awaken and recognize a lot of talent among them and we also get carried away by those performances in academics.
- Career Exploration: Identifying skills early enables your child to identify career paths compatible with their talents, resulting in a more fulfilling career. You, as parents, can help pre-schoolers discover what truly makes them happy, which may one day pave the way for a rewarding career. Regardless of your child’s age, career planning is never too early. With early planning, their talent, knowledge, and skills can be integrated effectively, making them the best in their field. As they say, ‘The earlier, the wiser’.
- Boosted Self-Esteem: Confidence and self-esteem enable your child to face the world with courage. In turn, this boosts their self-esteem, and further, knowing what they excel at makes them feel even more competent in areas of expertise. Hence, let your child say ‘no’ to what they dislike, encourage them to explore, give them balanced feedback, and motivate them to try again even if things fail to work out the first time.
- Positive Identity: Skill identification contributes to the development of positive self- identity, enabling both you and your child to define yourselves beyond academic accomplishments. The truth is that no parent or teacher can create self-identity in a child. All we can do is provide and shape a learning environment through which your child develops a self-identity. Take the time to recognize children as people who deserve to be heard, acknowledged, and engaged in decision-making. Embrace and value each child, creating meaningful relationships that embrace their strengths, ideas, and abilities to nurture positive self-identity.
- Life Passion: Early skill acquisition may lead to the discovery of a lifelong passion or hobby, enhancing personal well-being and providing a source of joy and fulfilment. Even though children might be clueless about their interests at their age, as parents and teachers, you can often help uncover the skills they are naturally good at. Spot your child’s inherent abilities, nurture them, and support them to excel at things that could emerge as their passion for a lifetime. The independence a child gains from identifying and pursuing their passion, no matter what it may be, is invaluable. This instils confidence in their soul to create a pathway for their upcoming life.
- Leadership Development: Identifying leadership skills at a young age can foster leadership traits, which are beneficial throughout life. Instead of training your children to become leaders, help them boost their self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Ultimately, only through active participation on both sides, parents and school authorities, will children grow into effective teammates, good decision-makers, good citizens, and successful leaders.
- Time and Effort Allocation: Identifying and nurturing skills in children from an early age significantly streamlines the allocation of time and effort in the long run. Early recognition of a child’s unique talents allows parents, educators, and the child to focus resources and energies on that particular interest. As a result of this targeted approach, not only are your child’s abilities enhanced, but unnecessary time and effort are also eliminated.
- Preparation for Challenges: Skill identification at an early age aids problem-solving and adaptability abilities. These early experiences foster a sense of resilience in children and develop the capacity to think critically, adapt to new situations, and find innovative solutions to problems. Moreover, skill identification provides a solid foundation for enhancing skills, vital for addressing real-world issues, and empowers children to become more adept problem solvers.
- Personal Fulfilment: Personal fulfilment is the accomplishment of life goals that are important to an individual. Therefore, identifying and cultivating skills early in childhood will allow them to lead a more fulfilling and purposeful life in which they will pursue their passions and positively impact the world.
Bringing It All Together
As parents, educators, and society generally, we know that every child is born with unique abilities, interests, passions, and talents. It is, therefore, essential to identify and nurture these talents in our children as early as possible. Not only does it prepare them to cope with the challenges to come, but it also helps them comprehend the implications for self-worth, self-knowledge, self-expression, resilience, and acceptance of oneself. Even research shows that children who enter school with specific skills are more likely to succeed academically in the future than their peers.
As a child grows, it is during the first five years that positive interactions and responsive relationships foster growth. Therefore, it is during this time that the foundations for learning, health, and behaviour develop.
“Opportunities multiply when you invest in your skills. Seize them”.
Whether you’re a parent, guardian, or educator seeking ways to unlock kids’ learning potential, I hope this modest reflection of mine proves to be of assistance to you in identifying and nurturing your child’s unique talents at an early stage for a brighter future.