A neighbor next door had a teenager who signed up for a huge number of courses- violin, swimming, skating, dancing, aerobics and others, only to leave all of them half-way through! When she started the course she would be so enthusiastic, talking about it for hours, to her friends and everyone in the society. Whatever happened to her commitment later on?
Many of us have this vivacious aspiration to take on something new- a new assignment, a new job even, or a challenging project. Are you a person who somehow quits halfway? Is the ‘zing’ just not there to see it through? Then you need to check whether your child too has imbibed this characteristic from you.
Teaching children how to take on life’s difficult yet exciting assignments and to stick with them right through, is very important for them to meet with success in whatever they set out to do. How do you see to it that your child never quits half ways?
Teach them it is hard work:
Teach your child that success comes to only those who keep working at something, without giving up, till the very end. Remember Edison and how he failed for long years, till he came up with the light bulb invention? Inspire your child to work hard with stories like these-leaders and icons of our country, like Sardar Patel, Tagore, Gandhiji succeeded in getting India her freedom because they never quit halfway. Your child needs to learn that quitting half-way is not a very good idea.
Walk the talk
If you want your child to be persevering, you will need to be so yourself. Before starting a new work assignment or a project, state loudly so that your child can hear you-“ I am going to work hard at this, and come out tops!” Consciously set the bar higher and work towards reaching it, so that your child picks up the trait from you. Children learn by observing, so if you are one of those parents who slag and leave a project uncompleted in an atmosphere of failure, your child will be tempted to do the same in his life too.
Listen to your child
If your child suddenly quits half way, do not jump your gun. Instead, listen to what he has to say. Maybe the project was too challenging, maybe the teacher was just not right. Whatever it is, do not be quick to jump to making accusations. Hear what your child has to say, and then try to find a solution.
Help your child to schedule
Nowadays there is a lot on the child’s plate- study, school, sports, activities, computers….the list can be endless. Though you may want your child to excel in every area, taking on too much will be difficult for him to handle. Instead, drill down to a few activities or projects which you think your child will be good at. Sit down together and chalk out a schedule so that he is comfortable with the routine.
Childhood is a journey for you and your little one. Do not stress too much if the going gets tough. Tell your child to hang in there. After all, success comes to those who try, try and try. Until they succeed!