Ways to encourage your child to utilize their problem- solving skills

1. Test it out

Whenever your child encounters a problem, ask them to acknowledge it and embrace the challenge. If the outcomes are not effective, they can try out different approaches. This will encourage your child to look at a problem from different angles.

2.Ask for advice

Sometimes, you may struggle to make decisions in your everyday life. For instance, you might struggle to decide what to cook for dinner or what to wear to the movies. Ask your children to help make these simple decisions. When you ask them for their advice, it teaches them that they're not the only ones who face problems. When you value their ideas, it will give them the confidence to solve problems independently.

3. Take a deep breath

One of the first steps to effective problem solving is remaining calm. Even with youngsters, when their emotions go out of hand, it's difficult to look at things rationally, and the tendency to make impulsive decisions become higher. It's important to teach your child to take deep breaths every time they feel they're losing control of their emotions. Once they're calm, they can assess the situation better.

4. Verbalise the problem

It will help your child if they verbally express how they feel and what they're struggling with after calming down. It helps them gain perspective and makes it easier for them to come up with potential solutions.

5. Don't provide ''the answer''

While it's difficult to watch your children struggle with an issue, do not give them the answers outright. Instead, give them hints to help them solve the problem independently. This way, they can come up with creative solutions independently.

6. Lead by example

Children are like sponges and pick up things very quickly. So, when you confront a problem and come up with an effective solution, they will notice how you address issues and try to emulate you.

7. Allow natural consequences to unfold

Sometimes, letting the problem run its course is the best way to deal with it. So, when your child is faced with a problem, let them be. Let's suppose your child spent all their weekly allowance in a day or two; let them go the entire week without allowance. This will set them up to make better choices in the future.