ORLANDO, Fl – There are many different strategies for good parenting. But now new research reveals there are certain techniques that are proven to build happy and successful kids.
Taking your child from one stage to the next is never easy. There will be mistakes from both the kids and parents. But one thing parents can do to build successful kids is to give them the opportunity to learn from low-risk mistakes.
Angel Harris, a Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at Duke University, shares effective solutions for building up dynamic children.
“There’s learning that happens when children experience some challenges academically,” Harris said.
Researchers believe letting kids make mistakes and learn from them allows kids to build problem-solving and critical thinking skills, along with boosting their comprehension and retention of new information.
Parents can also build competent kids by giving them more free time. Psychologists from the University of Colorado and the University of Denver found kids who spent more time in structured activities had problems working toward goals, making decisions and regulating behavior.
“Our children don’t get the opportunity to become independent,” Harris agreed.
And researchers at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania found having back-and-forth conversations is one of the best things parents can do to develop one of the most important skills for kids, communication. Studies show kids with strong communication skills are more likely to have healthier relationships, longer marriages, higher self-esteem, and grow up to be great negotiators.
It was previously taught that kids from high-income families developed better language skills because they were exposed to about 30 million more words during the first years of life than kids from low-income families. But researchers found back-and-forth conversations benefited all kids, regardless of socioeconomic status.