The Preschooler

Get Them to Think

As the parent or guardian of a preschooler, it can be difficult to sit back and watch your child struggle when they don’t know the answer to something.  Typically, a child will come to an adult and ask for help or simply request that the adult do it for them.  Although the first reaction may be to help the child and complete the task, there is so much they can learn from figuring it out themselves.

The next time your child approaches you and asks for your help, make the time to help but in a limited form.  Instead of solving the problem for your child, ask your child questions about possible solutions.  For example, my four-year-old would love to be able to draw pictures like his older brother.  However, instead of trying them on his own, he usually brings me a piece of paper and asks me to draw it for him.  Instead of honoring his request as stated, I make him think about how to draw a house, for example.  We may discuss the shapes on a house, such as a square, triangle and rectangle.  By asking him a lot of questions and getting him to think of how to draw a house, he will be able to do it on his own the next time.

This simple task of deflecting the question back to your child can be difficult at first.  Your child may rebel, and you may feel bad about watching him struggle to find a solution.  Keep asking questions, and help as little as possible.  His wheels will start turning, and you may be surprised at what your child can do when get him to think.

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Written by Laura on September 28, 2011