As parents, we want our children to be successful in life. One of the best ways to help them achieve this is to encourage them to become problem-solvers. This means empowering them by teaching them how to think critically and come up with creative solutions to problems.
Here’s why.
Life is about problems, big and small. But how we cope with problems is what makes the real difference. A 2010 study published in Behavior Research and Therapy found that children who lack problem-solving skills may be at a higher risk of depression and suicidality.
So, here are a few tips to teach your child problem-solving skills.
1. Encourage them to ask questions
When your child comes to you with a problem, encourage them to ask questions about it.
What are the different ways they can think about the problem?
What are some possible solutions?
Asking questions will help them to start thinking critically about the problem and come up with their own ideas for solving it.
2. Encourage them to brainstorm
Once your child has asked some questions about the problem, don’t give them the solution right away. Encourage them to brainstorm a few possible solutions. This will help them to think creatively about how to solve the problem. Brainstorming also allows children to share their ideas with you and get feedback on whether or not they are realistic.
If needed, you can help them see things clearly but avoid helping them directly as that would take away the opportunity to solve the problem and develop problem-solving skills in your child.
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3. Let them make mistakes
Encourage trial and error. Many a times, the best way to solve a problem is to just try something and see if it works. Encourage your child to experiment with different solutions and see which one works best.
Tell them it is okay to fail. Even as adults, when faced with problems, we try to apply different solutions and coping strategies; some work while others fail. The same is true for children as well. Allow them to try, irrespective of whether they succeed or fail. This approach will help children learn from their mistakes and become more successful problem-solvers in the future.
Remember, the goal is to solve the problem and not eliminate the problem right away. Help them learn that somethings are in control but some not.
4. Turn requests into problems for children to solve
Whenever you ask your child to do something, try to turn it into a problem for them to solve. For example, instead of saying, “go brush your teeth,” you could say, “how can you get your teeth clean?” This will help them to think about the problem and come up with their own solution instead of just doing what they’re told. When you turn requests into problems for children to solve, you’re teaching problem-solving skills. For example: Instead of, “My toy is broken.”, think, “How can we fix it?”
5. Trust your child
One of the most important things you can do to encourage problem-solving is to trust your child. Allow them to make mistakes and learn from them. This will help them to become more confident in their ability to solve problems on their own.
6. Ask for advice
Whenever you face any problem, ask your child for advice and hear out their solutions. This will help your child understand that everyone faces problems and that to solve the problem, we need to think objectively, brainstorm or seek help and come up with a solution. They will also realize that there is nothing to be ashamed of when asking for help. Children would also feel that their advice is being valued, which would instill confidence in them to solve problems independently.
7. Encourage them to persevere
Problem-solving can be difficult, and sometimes it can take a long time to find a solution that works. Encourage your child to persevere and keep trying even when they feel like they’re not making any progress. This will help them to develop grit and determination, which are essential to become successful problem-solvers.
8. Encourage free play
It is a proven fact that children learn more from free play than anything else. Let them play games that involve solving problems, logical reasoning, or critical thinking. Let them play with blocks or puzzles or some role play.
When playing with blocks if their block structure falls, it will give them a chance to think critically about why the structure fell down and how can they now arrange the blocks to ensure it does not fall again. Similarly, when playing with puzzles, children need to be patient and think about how the puzzle pieces will fit to create the final outcome.
Even when playing with other kids on the ground, deciding on who takes the first turn, how to resolve a conflict between playmates, etc., allows children to develop problem-solving skills.
9. Prepare kids for problems and contingencies
Problem-solving skills are not just about finding solutions to problems; it’s also about anticipating problems and preparing for them. Teach your child to think ahead and consider what could go wrong in any given situation. This will help them to be better prepared when problems do arise.
Recommended reading: 23 Brilliant Things to Teach Your Child
10. Practice, practice, practice
Like anything else, problem-solving skills need to be practiced for children to get better at them. Whenever you can, give your child opportunities to practice solving problems to teach your child problem solving skills. You can do this by coming up with problems for them to solve together or by letting them watch you solve problems. This will help them see how problem-solving works and give them a chance to try it out themselves.
Conclusion
Giving children the opportunity to practice problem-solving will help them to develop the skills they need to be successful in life. Using the tips above to teach your child problem solving skills, you can encourage your child to become a critical thinker and creative problem-solver. And that’s a skill that will benefit them for years to come, as problems are an inevitable part of life! Once children learn problem-solving skills, they will also learn to take responsibility and accountability, be confident and address challenges with integrity.
