A passion gives you a reason to keep learning and to work toward mastery. According to Opal Academy It gives you something in common with other people, and so fosters social bonds. It gives you purpose
How to encourage kids to follow their passion?
Each of us has our own story to tell and it all starts with our childhood days.
Our motivation in life, sense of purpose, drive to learn new skills, and making choices are all somewhat connected to our childhood.
As a child, you are always curious, and you always strive to learn new things this pursuit of learning can be useful for now and for the future. So, a wise word of advice is to give your child the freedom to explore, try and discover as these are the first steps towards discovering and pursuing a passion.
In this article we will be discovering the reasons your child needs to pursue their passion, we will also discuss the necessary soft skills needed to help children succeed in following their passion.
Why is it important for your child to follow their passion?
Your child typically easily changes his/her mind. For example, one week they will be obsessed with dinosaurs, while next week they will like birds, insects, or maybe dancing.
As a parent it is not easy to keep up with their alternating passion, but it’s something you must do. This is a “discovery” phase for your child, that is critical for finding true passion while developing key skills that will aid in pursuing this passion now and in the future.
Let’s look at reasons why your child needs to follow their passion.
Pursuing passion releases Dopamine
Dopamine plays a role in how we) feel pleasure. It’s a big part of our unique skill as a human to think and plan.
When you try to insist on the thing that you want to a child, they don’t feel happy, or shall we say they are not interested. But if they do something that they want to do or something that they are passionate about their brain triggers a specific response that will result in dopamine release.
This will make your child feel happy and accomplished. And if your child feels happy when doing a certain thing, he/she will most likely do that thing with all their capacity and will create wonderful results.
Not only this, but it will also help boost their self-esteem & self-distancing skills.
Multiple interests help your child find themselves
Self-discovery is a process that will take all your life to figure out. This process resembles during your child’s pursuit of finding their passion it will help them know to discover themselves better.
Passion-based learning is rooted in Science
This type of learning garnered well-deserved respect among all the other learning models being brought up today. It involves looking for something that a child has an interest in or something he was passionate about and this passion will lead to his love for learning.
If your child is passionate about something they will want to study and understand it. This curiosity towards passion can highly engage students while learning.
Hobbies & Passions help your child form connection with others
They say no man is an island. When you let your child pursue a hobby or an extra-curricular activity that they are passionate about they tend to share it with others and eventually will reach out to those who share the same interest as them.
By connecting with others who have the same passion, your child further develops his social skills giving him an advantage edge in life.
Your children’s passion teaches them to Persevere.
If someone really loves something, they will not give up easily on it. Let’s say your child failed many times they will still try and try until they succeed.
It is like there’s a fire that is burning inside them that serves as a motivation to work harder. This will also help in the future, in another aspect of their life.
How can you support your child in discovering their passion?
In everything, we need certain skills for us to succeed in the things that we are really passionate about. Listed below are five key skills that a child needs to master for them to succeed with their passion.
Patience
Of course, patience comes first. Always remember your child is still discovering. You will need to repeat yourself a lot of times. You will also have to deal with distractions that require a lot of patience. If you want your child to reach their goals you really need a bucket full of patience so that you will avoid frustrations.
The ability to manage frustrations or annoyance
Your child is a very keen observer, they will easily find out if you are frustrated. You must look at long-term results, this way you will be able to help them try again and again despite their failures.
Communication
In helping your child discovering their passion and succeed in the things they are passionate about, as a parent you should be able to communicate properly to a child.
Be open to adjust and use examples that your child can understand. Children learn best through examples and situations they relate to.
Finally, always encourage your child to try new things and to never give up easily.
Bonus
Take some time to support your child’s soft skills that will help them discover, pursue and stand out in their passion(s). You can join this free email course on children soft skills.
Your child’s passion(s) is a journey of learning, adapting, and accomplishing, cherish the journey and be there to support your child every step of the way.
