In general, an all-rounder is a child who excels in academia, knows how to socialise, processes life skills, and works hard to build up good habits.
Raising a child well with these four tenets would keep them in good shape as adults.
As parents, we want the best for them, and we want them to be the best.
Achieving this is a life-long task, albeit a rewarding one.
We’re All In This Together
To start off, unity is the key that helps develop little all-rounders.
Mum and Dad are supposed to present a united front. If children feel discord, they can pit one parent against the other to get out of activities that they either do not like, or are lazy to participate.
It is crucial that parents discuss what kind of education they would like to enrol their children in, whether it is a government school, private institution, international school, or even choosing to homeschool their children.
Moving forward, both parents must have a mutual agreement to take decisions on the type of extra-curricular activities that their children should learn. It could be the usual staple of getting them to learn a musical instrument, master martial arts, join a dance class, or even enrolling them in activities that are out of their comfort zones like archery, abseiling, robotics, or golf.
Get their buy-in before signing up. Browse the subject with your kids since their participation is crucial, depending on their age and level of understanding.
In addition, you can try to practise good camaraderie along with daily fun family activities to help enhance your children’s life skills
You can be sure that a good balance of academics, and extra-curricular and life skills activities, peppered with a good dose of virtues, will go a long way in helping them to be wholesome adults.
A Listening Ear
Having a listening ear is a perfect way to get to know your children well. Listening to them speak their minds respectfully helps you “see” what is going on in their daily lives.
It also acts as a way to determine whether they are doing well in school and whether they are doing extra-curricular activities.
From there, you would be able to determine if they are growing to their fullest potential or if it would be better to change course.
Likewise, it is prudent to ensure that their days are not crammed with activities as they can easily become overwhelmed.
Learning to play the piano, for instance, is a popular extra-curricular activity. However, some children do not thrive under the discipline of music, especially if they are more physically active.
Having a listening ear will attune you to their hidden talents, and perhaps prompt a change of activity.
A Watchful Eye
Children naturally gravitate to what they love the most.
Watching them in action will give you clues about their likes and dislikes. It also surfaces weaknesses or boredom.
From there, you will be able to determine if they actually lack interest or whether they need to work harder to hone their skills.
Some children do better in a familiar company. If you are going to enrol your son in a local football club, rope his siblings, cousins, and friends to make the activity fun.
Relationships between your children and family and friends could develop through social skills.
Nurturing Nature
Children thrive in a warm and nurturing environment.
If you find that their spirits are waning, jump into the fray and help them out where you can.
Affirmation makes them realise that they are not alone, and encouragement pushes them to try harder.
U-Turns Allowed
While academically, their course is more or less set, they should have the flexibility to determine their own hobbies, or, with your approval, to change their extra-curricular activities if they stagnate due to their lack of interest.
Take heart that they would have learned some lifelong skills.
With a new activity, they will have the opportunity to acquire skills that are more attuned to their character and likes.
Structured Success
Children need structure to thrive. Hence, the necessity of a daily schedule. Left to their own devices, it is easy to slide things around.
Their schedules should fit their age and activities.
In fact, even on holidays, they should have a timetable, albeit a more relaxed one. You can incorporate family fun activities, such as going to the park for a picnic, playing games, learning to bake, cooking, or going out together.
Investing In The Future
Any outlay for your children is an investment for their future and a legacy for yours.
So do not worry if your child’s interest in any activity is dwindling to the point of oblivion. Cut your losses and forge ahead.
Every day, we learn something. The same holds true for children. Being “a Jack of all trades, master of none” is not necessarily a bad thing.
If your child can play a musical instrument reasonably well, that is an accomplishment.
Perhaps as he grows up, he will be interested in exploring the activity again, or perhaps he would not.
There is a lot of learning going on in every activity, but not everything is actually measurable in terms of grades or achievements.
Developing all-rounders is not the quest to achieve perfection in the shortest period of time.
Rather, it is a journey that lasts a lifetime.
Some days may be plain sailing; others may find themselves mired in mud and tempted to give up.
You just have to keep going. One day, you will see your children bloom into well-formed and capable adults.
They will be the pride of your life, just as you are the treasure in theirs.
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