Childhood is foundational in developing a child into a type of person they become. In this age, the learning curve of the child is at its epitome. In the age group of 4-10, kids are very curious, whatever you will teach them or you will do, they will pick it up very quickly as they are born observers. A child undergoes development at various fronts be it emotional, social, physical, mental and cognitive growth. If we parents are able to imbibe the right personality traits in kids, then the child’s personality development will be unimaginable !!
In this blog, we will discuss about what are the possible ways through which you can work on enhancing and developing personality of kids in age group of 4-10
Why Does Personality Development matter?
Children in the age group of 4-10 are agile, like wet cement, you can mould them as you may want to. Whatever we inculcate in them, they will adapt to it immediately. If we teach them kindness, they will become kind towards others but if they observe anger or fights around them, then the child will automatically develop anger when they speak. So, as a parent this is our moral duty to focus on how to build our children’s personality in a positive way so that they become good human beings as they grow up.
How do I get to know if my child is developing the right personality?
If you see any of the below traits in your child, then you can enjoy a sip of coffee, pat yourself for doing the good work !
- Better Communication Skills – Observe is your child expressing his/her thoughts and feelings openly to you, either verbally or by active listening. Are they discussing what happened in the school or with their peers or at tuition, any difficult situation or project they received and how did they tackle it. If yes, then then that’s a positive sign
- Enhanced Resilience – If your child is able to overcome any kind of setbacks or challenges with calmness and smile, maybe he lost a competition to his peer or could not secure first position for which he had worked very hard, then this shows that he has built resilience and adaptability to cope up with any adverse situations in future
- Developing Empathy – If you make your child participate in any volunteering activity such as helping old age people or orphans, then they will develop empathy and compassion towards others. This will enable them to appreciate whatever gifts of life god has blessed them with 🙂
- Leadership Skills – Your child will showcase abilities to take up tasks, be a conflict manager if any situation arises in front of them, collaborate and be a team leader if you teach them how to deal with complex issues
- Self Confidence – The child will be more confident with whatever they do and will be able to express their thoughts without any ambiguity. For eg – You ask your child to dance in front of 10 people and they happily set the stage on fire !
How can I develop my child’s personality?
Most of us think talking about various do’s and don’ts can help in influencing our children’s personality. But let’s accept it, if somebody lectures us daily, and we ourselves don’t like it then how can we expect the kids around us who are so young and small in age to listen and do?
The ideal way to develop a child’s personality is by giving them freedom and through actual acts done by us. Remember, the kids in this age group are born observants, they will naturally copy whatever you do. So the important question is to check if I am showcasing the right personality traits.. Here is a quick guide which can help in rescuing you 😀
Open Communication and being a good listener-
Speak freely and let your child also communicate openly. Listen to what they are saying either through their reactions or verbally. The more we listen and promote communication, the better our child’s personality will become.
Be patient and involved when your child explains about how their day was, (it could be just a boring one for you but,) trust me if you listen to them with full attention, you will see how their confidence improves and they learn to articulate better
Don’t’ Label your child –
This is a crime which most of us end up doing without realizing. We may label our kids as aggressive or spoiled or gentle or kind whatever behavior they showcase when we talk to them. This is something we should avoid. If you have been doing this till now, Stop Immediately!
Your child’s mind is getting wired to what they are listening to. This can lower their self esteem and confidence. Slowly, they may start accepting themselves and imagine that they are the similar kind as we tell them.
Avoid Comparison –
A lot of us, when we were kids, would have experienced this in our childhood. Our parents or relatives would end up comparing us with kids of similar age groups. This should not be done if we want to develop a good personality trait in our children.
For children who are outshining and performing well, if we keep on appreciating them by comparing with a child who is weak, then the former child may develop traits like ego and pride whereas the later kid may lose his self esteem and confidence.
We should respect each and every child’s individuality and let them blossom naturally without any element of comparison
Give them Opportunity to take decisions-
Let your child make small decisions, be it deciding which dress to wear or which movie to watch or which snack to eat. If you appreciate and let them take small decisions, the child will develop confidence, problem solving skills and leadership abilities
Teach social etiquette –
Teaching etiquettes like greeting elders, being kind towards others, helping people in need can inbuilt spirit of compassion, respect and kindness in children
Foster Creativity beyond Academics-
While academics play an important role in a child’s educational journey, you should also promote creativity. Kids are naturally creative and imaginative. You give them an art book and a magic wand, they will create a whole new world. Check out our App to find some creative ways of engaging your child
Give responsibilities at home –
Your child will showcase abilities to take up tasks, be a conflict manager if any situation arises in front of them, collaborate and be a team leader if you teach them how to deal with complex issues
Be Gentle if they don’t meet expectations –
While we as parents always want our child to excel but it’s absolutely okay if they aren’t able to fulfil our expectations. Talk to them about what led to the gap, discuss what could have been done better, develop a positive conversation rather than showcasing disappointment. If you will be disappointed or angry then the child will automatically develop likewise feelings into his personality. We should encourage them to improve on the shortcomings gently without impacting their confidence
Build Parent-Child Bond –
Spend quality time with your child, you could narrate them stories (here are some quick short stories for your reference) or you can play some games with them, sneaking under the bed and playing is also an amazing thing to do! Go out and play in the park, do whatever can help you and your child develop that bond. Once the bond is in place, everything will happen naturally
Be a Role Model –
For children in this age group of 4-10 years, you are a role model to your child in all the possible ways. They look up to you for every small thing. So, if you practice whatever we have shared in this blog for yourself, you will see your child imbibing the same in themselves 🎉
Bonus Tip – Use “Thought of the Day” for Daily Inspiration
Anytime during the day be it at the end or start or during the day, teach your child a simple, reflective quote such as – “Don’t quit”, “Be the reason for someone’s smile today” etc. Crack a conversation with them about what does this “thought of the day” mean?
This will help in developing thinking skills, encouraging reflection, moral values.
Last Thoughts
Personality development is a very critical element of your child’s development. As the children grow, they observe and absorb whatever comes their way so we need to be conscious of this fact to raise a confident, kind and thoughtful human-being. If you are looking for interactive games, creative tools etc. to support your child’s growth then do check out our App!