Kids should be able to expresses themselves freely so that they can communicate about every problem to their parents without hesitation. Here are some tips to encourage your kids to express themselves.The world in which today’s children exist is so much more challenging and competitive. There is a lot of pressure from media as well as burgeoning parental expectations and kids feel pressurized to appear popular and likeable even if they do not want to appear so. As a result even introverted and shy kids are now forced to express themselves and this makes some of them very uneasy. As a parent this is where you should step in, intervene and help your kid achieve the art of expressiveness organically with minimum discomfort.
Encourage Artistic Expressions
Often kids who do not express themselves otherwise find vent for their feelings of love, sadness, envy, longing and
fear through art. They may show an inclination towards drawing, painting, poetry, sculpture, craft or music. As a parent, observe your child carefully to understand the direction in which his or her talents lie. Thereafter encourage your kid’s artistic sensibilities as this is what will allow him or her to express more freely in the future. Slowly
encourage your children to explain to relatives, guests and visitors about the true meaning of their creations. This way you can encourage kids to talk about the things that really matter to them.
Ensure Group Participation
Small children need to be exposed to groups in order for them to develop free communication and social skills. However, parents respond to this requirement by randomly enrolling children in group activities which do not interest them at all. This has a negative effect on child psychology and most often forces kids to withdraw further into themselves. Encourage your kids to participate in group activities but do not force them. Find out which activities really inspire them and then ensure participation in similar groups. Once kids get used to interacting on a daily basis with lots of other kids for a specific purpose it is imperative that they will pick up communication skills.
Include Kids in Decision Making Processes
One of the primary reasons that child psychiatrists have identified as the leading cause behind lack of expressiveness is a lack of
confidence. Kids generally live in an adult dominated world where all the major decisions are taken by adults. Children are consciously kept away from interesting or important decision related activities and this makes them think that they are not capable of taking decisions. Naturally this inhibits their expressiveness by a lack of confidence. As a parent you can prevent this from happening by allowing children to
make their own decisions. It may start off from choosing their own storybook to deciding how to decorate their room. As kids get comfortable with smaller decisions they will be able to move on to bigger ones. Their sense of expressiveness will also grow.
Inculcate the Need for Individuality
As a parent it is one of your primary objectives to make your little angels realize that each one of them is unique, irreplaceable and different. The development of an unique personality should happen from an early age through the expression of personal choice of clothes, manner of speaking, choice of
hobbies etc. when kids are really small allow them to choose their own clothes (within reasonable limits) even if it means that their outfits are a little mismatched. As kids grow older allow them to pick which backpack to use and what shop to get their school supplies from. This will allow them to truly express their feelings and emotions along with likes and dislikes.
Hopefully, this guide will help you in becoming more aware of the different ways in which your kids can express themselves. Slowly you will be able to observe your child become more expressive and social.
How to encourage kids to express themselves? How to deal with shy kids? What are the benefits of encouraging kids to express themselves? Discuss here.