Life skills in childhood
Our children learn a lot everyday from their surroundings. A lot of the learning is not academic. They grasp various life skills while out and about their day. These skills are important as they grow and become part of the active community. It is easier to introduce them to the various aspects of holistic development early on in life to help them master these skills for better growth.
Life skills are core to the smooth functioning of an individual in the society. These help a person manage their personal and social lives with equal ease. A well-planned early-childhood education curriculum can help in this regard. Various play-based learning preschools have developed curriculums that help children develop these essential life skills.
There are 10 core life skills that are considered significant in a person’s life summarized below:
Problem solving – problems big or small, present themselves very often in our lives and so, it is very important to not be overwhelmed in such situations and to be able to take a productive decision and help wade through.
Critical thinking – a person needs to be able to evaluate the results of his/ her actions and make an informed decision keeping in mind the various possible outcomes of each reaction.
Effective communication skills – communication is essential to survive and being effectively able to convey your thoughts is what makes the difference between positive and negative outcomes.
Decision-making – it is important for children to be able to make age-appropriate decisions for themselves. This can be encouraged by giving them ample opportunities to do so.
Creative thinking – creativity is a very important skill to possess not just as a medium for stress relief and expression but also to problem solving.
Interpersonal relationship skills – being able to socialize effectively is paramount in the outside world. Children will inevitably need to be introduced to places and people that are not familiar to them. This could lead to discomfort and anxiety unless they have the appropriate skills to navigate the uncertainty of human behavior.
Self-awareness – being aware and conscious of one’s own strengths, weaknesses and preferences is key to understand oneself and to handle and improve our strength for the betterment of everyone.
Empathy – kindness and understanding should come naturally to an adult. However, this needs to be introduced and explained to a child enabling them to build lasting, meaningful relationships in life.
Coping with stress – one thing that cannot be avoided in life is stress. To be able to manage and strive through during stressful times is significant for mental health and growth.
Dealing with emotions – emotions are core to our being. We experience an array of emotions on a daily basis. It is important that children are taught an effective and positive way to deal with emotions and manage life effortlessly.
With conscious effort and a little support from the parent/ caregiver and proactive collaboration with the educators, your child can be taught to master life comfortably.
Comments