Take advantage of the time you spend with your kids by sprinkling valuable life lessons into routine tasks with them.
A family of 5 on vacation stumbles across a wallet in the hotel parking lot. The father takes it to the front desk and says, “In case someone is looking for a wallet, here it is.”
Instead of letting the matter rest, the father discusses the virtue of honesty with his family. He has, in fact, seized on this great opportunity by offering his insights about life.
Indeed, parents should capitalise on such “moments” to extend or expand their child’s learning experiences, so that this will have a positive impact on the child, explains Daniel Koh, a psychologist at Insights Psychology Centre.
Teachable moments also occur when a child’s curiosity in a specific subject is at its highest, so be prepared to face a slew of questions like, “Why is the sky blue?”, “What does ‘we can’t afford it’ mean?”. Do keep your explanation short and simple, then wait for other opportunities to repeat it.
If you know the answer, it’s a chance to teach your child about the weather, history or language. Teachable moments are not constrained to a “classroom”, but come with stories, activities and even real-life experiences. Here are some ways to create your own…
1) Watch TV, movies or commercials together
If you’re watching TV with your child, you can discuss movie plots and themes and talk about ethics, the relationships between characters, and respect for self and others.
Take movies like Frozen or Inside Out, for example. If junior loves watching these repeatedly, point out that it’s sisterly love that saves the day, or why it’s important to be smart, kind and brave.
2) Read together
When reading together, get your toddler to be a letter or sound detective to look for a specific letter that makes a certain sound. For an older child, ask her to share something interesting she has read in storybooks, magazines or even the newspaper.
3) Listen to music together
Kids respond to music and lyrics and they also provide wonderful teachable moments for your children. You can use music to let your kids know you love them, to teach them lessons about life, and to express your hopes for them.
Music has also been shown to benefit memory, as well as help children with their pronunciation and vocabulary. For parents with a musical background, why not discuss the melody or types of instruments used in a song?
4) Cook together
Talk about what you are doing while making dinner or cookies. Talk about the recipes you are using, where they came from and why we eat the foods we eat. You can incorporate healthy lifestyle choices into your discussions along with how to measure and doubling a recipes, etc.
5) Organize a bedroom or playroom
Allow your child to assist in sorting toys, folding clothing, deciding what they would like to keep and what they may want to get rid of. For older kids, it can be planning ahead, having a goal and outlining the steps to achieve that goal. Donating to children in need is a wonderful teachable moment when organizing or cleaning. All these offer wonderful opportunities to help your children shape their adult attitudes and habits.
6) Learn on the go
Talking while traveling in the car is a wonderful way to “teach” your child but also learn more about your child and their interests and goals. These are great ways to build your relationship. If your child is a young learner, point out and emphasize the sounds of the letters, words, or road signs as you drive.
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