Covid-19

How to use challenging times to develop essential life skills in children

By
Kavin W.
April 30, 2020

I feel sorry for children right now.

Their routine is shattered, they are penned in at home while it’s sunny out and they are missing their friends. COVID-19 has brought tough times for the next generation.

Mind you, I feel pretty sorry for us parents too! Having to suddenly home educate whilst working, having financial and health anxieties, and trying to make sure we have a fully stocked fridge.

What about teachers? Tough times for them too! They will be doing the best they can for students of course, whilst looking after their own families too. I do wonder what the dialogue with parents is like though and what are their concerns?

During my work with parents, one thing I am hearing frequently is “I don’t feel fully qualified to teach this material.”

My response? “Actually, you are 100% qualified to teach what really matters.”

Parent power!

You see, when you think about it:

  1. Parents have life experience they can talk about
  2. They have strong relationships with their students (their kids)
  3. Their class sizes are small (just 1, 2 or 3 kids usually)
  4. They are better skilled for teaching by talking, rather than through resources

This is actually a great set-up!

OK, so it won’t work for learning Pythagoras’ Theorem, dissecting Shakespeare or experimenting with Acids and Alkalis, but it will absolutely work for holding conversations that really matter, getting children to talk, think and develop their brains in a more rounded way.

Powerful conversations

What do I mean by this? Well, just imagine parents asked their children these kinds of questions and think about the opportunities they bring:

  1. “How might others be feeling at this time?” (Empathy)
  2. “What can we do to help those in need?” (Collaboration)
  3. “What would you do if you were Prime Minister?” (Critical thinking)
  4. “What is a virus?” (Researching)
  5. “What is a new thing we can do at home for fun?” (Creativity)

What kind of conversations would result? The skill building kind! Skills such as empathy, collaboration, critical thinking, researching and creativity can all be developed, alongside traditional academic skills of maths, English and science. Ultimately, boosting life skills for these kids.

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Combining skills

I strongly believe that the combination of academic “hard” grades AND rounded “soft” skills like the above, are crucial for raising happy and successful children. So much so, I quit my corporate job to supports "soft skill” development in children.

I’ve learnt that during any challenging time is the perfect time for learning and developing new life skills. Families can use tough moments positively as an opportunity to talk about what is happening, and if the right questions are asked we can gain some fantastic soft skill development for the kids.

Just imagine these other challenging situations:

  • A grandparent passes away — The parent could ask: “What is the happiest memory you have of them?” (Positivity and gratefulness)
  • The child performed poorly in an assessment due to lack of revision — The parent could ask: “What would you do differently if you could go back in time?” (Organisation and reflection)
  • Your child’s team lost an important sports match — The parent could ask: “What would you say to the team in the dressing room if you were the manager right now?” (Leadership and critical thinking)

We know that emotions create memories. I remember better my first day of school (when I cried my eyes out) more than my first day of university, even though it was much more recent. During tough times when emotions are high, like Covid-19 or when a grandparent passes, parents have an opportunity to use it positively to develop these rounded skills — that will stick for life.

Take this opportunity and any other challenging times in the future to give it a try!

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Kavin

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Written by
Kavin W.

Kavin left a comfortable corporate role to pursue his passion. He has built KidCoachApp, which provides parents with hundreds of guided conversations for parents to get their kids talking, thinking and feeling - and building skills they will need to thrive. He lives in London with his wife and 2 kids.

Kid Coach App how to have better conversations with kidsHow to talk to children about emotions help Kid Coach AppFree apps to help kidsHow to talk to children about emotions help Kid Coach App

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