Trying to inspire our children to do anything other than what they want to do, can sometimes feel like walking up a hill backwards, strapped to a car with no wheels. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. In this guide, let’s discuss how to inspire children to do big things.
by Andrea Gibbs | Andrea Gibbs is a work-at-home mom with a background in business development, strategy, and social media marketing. She contributes to the Montessori Academy blog, to motivate parents about how they can get their children ahead of the game in school.
This post contains affiliate links. Learn more about our affiliate links by reading our Affiliate Disclaimer HERE.
Parenting is never easy let alone trying to inspire our children to do anything. In the course of our daily parenting, we face all kinds of challenges and responsibilities. As parents, we often feel obligated to provide for our families’ needs while attending to our kids’ emotional needs. And because most of us parents are more concerned about giving our families the best life possible, it leads us to experience mindfulness slips.
The good thing is it’s never too late to change everything and get back on track to what the goal is with your kids. To raise independent, responsible, happy kids to become healthy, contented adults in the future.
As we all know, children are born with an abundance of curiosity and energy, but they need our guidance to make sure that they stay on the right path. Inspiring them to do big things at an early age every day is one way to lead them to success. There are many ways we can show our kids what life can be at its best and that they can aspire to become the best version of themselves.
Here are the 5 ways to inspire your children to do big things every day.
1. Set Smaller Goals
Setting bigger goals doesn’t always mean that your child will achieve them. For instance, parents who set their children’s goals too high can sometimes discourage their children from achieving their dreams by putting pressure on them at an early age. Instead, encouraging smaller goals for your children can help them succeed and enjoy the process along the way. Smaller goals will give kids self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment to help them believe that they can achieve greater things in life.
For instance, if you want your little one to achieve a certain grade in school, don’t put too much pressure on them by asking them to make straight A’s. Instead, encourage them by asking them to do their best and take a well-rounded approach to school. You can set smaller, more achievable goals, such as having him read a few pages of a Montessori-friendly book every day and practice 2 or 3 math problems before bedtime. As they accomplish each small goal, they’ll feel more confident in their abilities to reach bigger goals.
2. Be Your Kids’ Role Model
Kids are like sponges, absorbing whatever they see and hear around them. The people around them highly influence them. Show your kids that you’re willing to work hard by working yourself. If you want your kid to strive for greatness, set a good example by doing what you expect your child to do.
For instance, if you want your children to be hardworking and disciplined enough to do their tasks well, take these qualities as an example for them. You can do this by setting your priorities first and spending more time on your tasks than distractions. As you go through each day at your job or with your projects, show them how much you enjoy what you do by allowing them to be part of it. When they see that you’re willing to put in the hard work to achieve your goals, they will develop the discipline to go after their dreams, too.
3. Let Your Child Choose Activities That Interest Them
You can encourage your child’s love for learning by letting them choose activities they’re interested in. Before enrolling your child in a particular program, you should take the time to understand what they love to do. You can help them discover their interests by allowing them to enjoy the activities that they choose. It will give kids self-confidence and a sense of independence as they embark on a new adventure with you.
For instance, if your child wants to take up piano lessons for a year, encourage them to do so. When your child expresses interest in music, you can introduce other musical instruments such as the guitar, violin, and others that they could learn someday. Ask them to practice by playing simple melodies every day at home and let them enjoy making their music. Once they are ready to move on toward additional challenges, encourage them to consider making their own music and creating new beats. Show them support by providing them with the tools they need to succeed and enjoy the experience such as this Aeros Looper by Singular Sound. Your child will appreciate the gesture and it’ll be fun to hear what they produce and come up with on their own!
4. Let Them Experience Failure
Once your child tries something he is not comfortable with, he will still be scared and reluctant at the same time. To help him learn from his mistakes and gain confidence to try again, you need to show him that failure is just part of the process, and it’s okay to take a step back and re-evaluate and try again.
For instance, if your child wants to try acting for the first time, don’t discourage him by saying you don’t know how to act. Instead, encourage him by showing him that it’s okay to mess up and take a step back and practice again. It will help him realize that he doesn’t have to do things perfectly the first time. He can overcome his fear of failure by putting himself out there again. The next time he tries acting or singing, he will soon gain confidence knowing that his mistakes are part of the process.
5. Love Your Kids as the Unique Individuals They Are
Don’t view your child as an extension of yourselves or as your mini-me. They are special, beautiful, and amazing. Your children are already living their own life, and they need your love and support to become the best version of themselves. Encourage them to do things that will make them happy even if it isn’t exactly what you want them to do.
For instance, when your child wants to take up a non-traditional class such as yoga, you may feel it’s a waste of time. You may worry that they won’t get good grades in their classes and be forced to take harder courses in the future. However, it’s important for them to do what makes them happy and not force them to take classes they can’t stand. In the end, children will be more likely to follow their dreams if you encourage them to do what makes them happy from the very beginning.
The Takeaway
How we parent our children will help them decide whether they want to do big things or simple things in life. Setting small goals with achievable outcomes, encouraging them to dream big, being a good role model, encouraging them to do new things, and encouraging them to face their fears can help our children reach greater heights in life. Inspiring children to be the best versions of themselves is the greatest gift we can give them. Keep inspiring them every day with these steps and watch how they achieve greatness in life.
