Go for their passion
About This Episode
It is difficult to do something if our heart isn’t in it. Once our passion is activated, we find value in experiences and enjoy them thoroughly. Adolescent years are the perfect training ground to discover what a child’s passions may be. You can tell what passions are because a child can spend hours involved in a task without much pressure from you.
Support them as they continue to develop their natural gifts and passions and you will face less resistance and more compliance. They will grow up with the ability to set goals for themselves, with a higher ability to persevere and a higher motivation.
Featuring
Additional Info
RECAP
Oftentimes the reward of doing an enjoyable activity makes routines or boring procedural practices bearable. If you enjoy playing an instrument, for example, you may practice for hours and hours even on days when your heart's not in it because of your love of music. As a parent, if you are able to help your son or daughter discover their passion, this can bring them meaning and a sense of purpose. If you tap into the interests they have and help them build discipline around their passion, this will help them be motivated in life. And this motivation can spill over into other areas of their life. Also, at times, you may be able to couple their passion with an activity that they may not enjoy as much. For example, you can help them memorize the times tables (something they may not like) while you dribble a basketball with them outside.
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
Think about an activity that you do (or have done in the past) that energizes you. If you have stopped doing this, think about re-engaging in this and chart a plan for doing this again. If you are doing something you enjoy, identify the type of resources that you have tapped into to help you integrate this activity in your life. Consider how can you do the same for your children?
Take your child’s cue and cultivate an interest they have shown to have. For example, do they like creepy crawlies, snakes and insects? Go to the library and check out books on the topic or watch documentaries with them on nature stuff.
Explore your Child’s interests: Check out your park districts workshops and programs. Go through it together with your children/adolescents and pick out one or two things of interest. Register for one class to check it out as an exercise in exploring opportunities and experiences.
TOOLS
The following tools can help you along the way.
The Struggle is Real podcast is based off the book, The Struggle is Real: Parenting in the 21st Century written by Dr. Alicia La Hoz & Dr. Paul Meier.
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