We admire courage, don’t we? Think of some great movies where a hero puts it all on the line (and sometimes dies) for their cause. Examples include Lion King, Million Dollar Baby, The Dark Knight. Once we have this highly desirable trait, it changes everything about us. However, courage is a skill and not just an innate character trait. This is something we need to teach our children, making them not only stronger, but this will quell that nagging voice in their heads. Cool, but how do we do this?
Compliment strangers or people without expecting something in return. Seriously, go up to someone, say something nice and walk away. Have your children do it too, or even give someone a flower. More than likely, it’ll feel awkward like when one of your parents hits on your favorite teacher (and actually gets somewhere). After doing this, you and/or your child would’ve just made that person’s day and in return, you’ll feel better about your own.
We all know that kids tend to ask 2 million questions a day. This is not a bad thing, but let’s be honest, sometimes it gets annoying. However, are they like that in school? Do they speak out when they see something wrong, or are they silent supporters? Encourage them to ensure that their voice is heard. Asking their opinion on things from, “where they want to eat?” to “what you guys should do over the weekend?”, helps reinforce this idea. If they do this on a regular basis, this behavior becomes part of them and there’s no going back.
Ask them to explore an interest they have, especially if this interest isn’t conventional. Foster their creativity and courage to explore new things.
Courage is a muscle and like all muscles, the more we work it, the stronger it gets. Let’s work those muscles for optimum results.
When was the last time you/your child complimented a stranger? What unconventional activity did your child show an interest in? How do you ensure that your child’s voice is heard?