Building Strengths in Children

JimBlog

Building strengths in children is a process. What does your child excel at?  As a child I grew up in the Evil Knievel era and I was the best kid in my Miami neighborhood at jumping a bicycle across two open ramps and I have scars to prove it.  Of course, my parents did not see this as my natural affinity and encouraged me to become a dentist.  I didn’t believe I was good at science and did not pursue this career but in hindsight, I could have become a dentist if they would have just kept encouraging me.

At ten years old I already believed I wasn’t good at math and science and this shaped my future career.  I tell you this because you know your child best and you might need to continue to nudge and believe for your child until he or she can believe on their own.  Our kids have free will to decide their career path but as parents we recognize their talents.

Be Intentional When Building Strengths

Building your child’s talents requires intentionality and not every interest develops to be your child’s chosen path.  When my child was a teen he wanted to be a YouTuber.  He was great at technology so I encouraged him to develop that interest but gave him opportunities for new experiences in areas I believed he might excel even more.

Three Ways for Building Strengths

Here are three ways to build your child’s strengths.  First, continue to encourage your child to try different activities including the ones that are out of their comfort zone.  Second, don’t give up on your child.  You might invest time and money into your child’s music or dance only to have her stop a short time later.  No worries as it’s an experience that helped shape her. What’s next? Finally, if needed, seek guidance.  Maybe your child is a happy wanderer with little focus or struggling with his or her identify.  There are counselors and career coaches that can assist.  You can find counselors at www.sfacc.net and a career coach at https://collegecareerconsulting.com.

Do you need help with your child? Call today (561) 625 4125.