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Questions that shape your child’s future

“How do I make my child future-ready?” This is an oft repeated question. Being future-ready is not an all-in-one package deal. Being future-ready in today’s climate is the ability to unlearn and learn. In this article I would like to talk about one of the important aspects of unlearning and learning – asking questions.

What is the best thing you could do with a question? Of course, it is to ask. Asking questions helps children to learn and have come to their own conclusions. However, many children refrain from asking questions. Have you ever wondered how you could help your child with it? To cultivate effective inquiry skills in your child, it is important to create a question-asking environment at home. Questions are the secret bullet that make your child future-ready. It is this environment that they are going to wear and carry around when they go out into the world.

A recent survey by World Economic Forum lists Critical Thinking as one of the top two skills required to thrive in the new world order. Experts are of the opinion that asking questions is what sparks curiosity and critical thinking in children. Questions drive thinking, enquiry and action. The strategies below will help you to create an inquiry-confident mindset for your child.

1. Ask your child about their questioning ventures of the day

According to Nobel laureate physicist Isidor I. Rabi, it is one question that shaped his life. He credits his curiosity to his mother’s question, “What did you ask in the class today?”

What do you ask your child when they come back from school? Do you ask them “How was your day?” or “What did you learn?” If you change your question a little bit to enquire about what did they ask, you will gradually observe a different effect in them. This will help them to understand we are all enquirers first and then learners. Isn’t that an effective step to be future-ready?

2. Help to manage the anxiety of looking stupid in front of others

Is your child scared that their questions would not make sense? Does your child feel that their peers or teachers would ridicule them for asking? It is time to inject some confidence into your child. While you are doing that, take time for some introspection as well. Are you being kind when you answer to your child’s questions? When your child asks a seemingly stupid question, take time to discuss that topic and help your child to frame a better question. The future is for people who can do out of the box thinking. Out of the box thinking comes from asking such questions. Tell your child that being future-ready means developing the courage to ask such questions.

3. Promote communication skills in your child

Many children (and adults) refrain from asking questions, not because they don’t have anything to ask or they are shy. It is because they are not sure how to frame their questions so that it will sound valid. Helping your child to practice good communication skills will help tremendously in this area.

When you ask questions to your child, be sure to ask ‘Why’ or ‘How’ questions instead of a question that gives you an ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. Be flexible to listen and respond to contradicting ideas.

One thing that is certain is that the future of mankind is only going to be more confusing. Knowing how to question the right way is their passport to take on the challenges of the uncertain world ahead of them. Equip your child with the necessary question-asking skills to be future-ready.

You may find our workshops on thinking skills and creative confidence here.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

Are you looking for a special present for an adorable child? Why don’t you give a present that will leave a lifetime positive impact? When you give The Kidz Parade Edutainment Magazine as a present, you are opening the door to a world of Creativity and Communication.

About Sindu Sreebhavan

Sindu Sreebhavan is the founder of As Many Minds Minds Pte Ltd and the founding Chief Editor of The Kidz Parade Edutainment magazine, Asia's premium publication for cultivating creativity and creative writing in children. Sindu is also the founder and the Chairperson of International Youth Leadership and Innovation Forum (IYLIF). Sindu is the author of 'Infinite Possibilities' and the lead co-author of Amazon bestseller 'Breakthrough'. With a passion to infuse innovation in education and inject growth mindset and innovative mindset in people and organisations, Sindu writes, speaks and consults on innovation and creativity in business and education. She says innovation does not start with invention, it starts with a mindset. “The best gift you can give a child is the power of Confidence, Creativity and Communication” is her tagline. She is passionate about educating educators, parents and children about youth development, youth leadership, education innovation and 21st century education. She supports children, parents, schools and several organisations in these areas.

The One Thing That Provides A Brighter Future For Your Child

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

September 3, 2016

What do employers look for when they select people into their teams? In the 1960’s NASA was in the midst of finding the best people for various teams. The director of NASA wanted to find a way to assign the best people in his teams. He was looking for a way to find people with the best creative ideas for teams that handle difficult problems. He approached George Land, the expert researcher in creative performance, for a solution. George Land formed a test to measure the creativity of NASA engineers and scientists.

The test worked impressively well at NASA. The test takers were supposed to derive new, diverse and innovative ideas to solve a given problem. George Land realised that it was a test that could be solved by anyone. So, he decided to give it to children. In 1968, he tried out the same test with 1,600 five year old children. He re-tested the same children when they reached the age of 10 years and later at 15 years. He tried out the same test with over one million adults as a follow up.

The percentage of people who scored at genius level differed among different age groups. 98% of those 5 year olds scored at genius level. However, as they grew older, their creativity and hence their score dropped rapidly at unimaginable levels.

What makes the thinking skills of children drop as they grow older?

The main reason for this rapid drop in imagination is the way we train our minds. There are two types of thinking: Convergent thinking and Divergent thinking.

Divergent thinking focuses on coming up with new ideas without limiting the scope of the thinking horizon, without being judged .
Convergent thinking limits the scope of thinking and often looks out for the well defined perfect answer for a problem.

At our schools, children are taught to produce the perfect answer for a problem. This limits their divergent thinking and problem solving skills.

But does it help? As per the IBM 2012 CEO study, which is based on inputs from 1700 CEOs from 64 countries, creativity is among the three traits that are critical for an employee’s success. As per a NACE survey among 160 employers, problem solving is among the top 4 skills employers are seek on a candidate.

These results bring up the key question: What is more important to you as a parent?– to bring up a child who scores well in their exams or to bring up a child who is capable enough to handle and solve problems in their professional and personal lives. Apparently it is the second type of children that future workforce would prefer to hold closer.

How you can help your child to maximise their thinking potential?

Allow opportunities for your child to grow their creative potential. If you want to be a parent of a child who retain their ability to be creative, encourage them to come up with ideas, allow them to express those ideas without judgment and provide them with opportunities to try out their ideas. This will not only ensure them a brighter future, they will also learn to be self-assured people.

You can find practical tips on how to encourage your child’s creative potential at

3 Tips to Boost Your Childs Creative Problem Solving Skills

The one thing must do to cultivate Critical Thinking in your child

Engage the Curious Minds

Please visit our workshops on thinking skills here.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

How Learning Programming Boosts Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills

Posted by Highlight on

April 9, 2016

These days, programming forms an integral part of all aspects of our lives, from education to social media, banking and information. As Singapore works towards becoming a “smart nation”, the Ministry of Communications and Information has announced that an additional 30,000 ICT jobs need to be filled by 2020. While not every child wants a career as a programmer, learning programming is a valuable life skill for everyone. We have the experts Mr Deddy Setiadi and Mr Himmy Cheng, the co-founders of Tink Tank, talking to us about the benefits of learning programming. Tink tank is a local coding institution that aims to equip every child with programming knowledge and the power to create change. So, why should you get your kids started on their coding journeys now?

1. Programming build up problem solving and computational thinking skills

Coding is very sequential – you need to know what to write and why one code comes after another. Students will be able to make logical connections that can help them learn to analyse different situations and look at the big picture before drilling down to the smaller steps to reach the goal. Whenever they do hands on coding activities and face errors, students will learn to identify the problem and debug the programme. Mr Deddy says, “When children learn to code, they are also learning to think. These days, Facebook, handphones and programmable toys are embedded in children’s lives. They should also learn to understand the logic behind these technologies and move beyond being passive consumers to creators of technology.”

“I found the workshop very educational and interesting as it taught us about technology, computer programming and how to use our ideas in building up our own games!” – 10-year-old Saamiya Khan, who has benefitted from Tink Tank‘s workshop and regular classes.

2. Programming empowers children with confidence and creativity

Learning with the right tools is essential to creating a strong programming foundation. There are many excellent tools available in the market, such as Scratch, which is developed by MIT and can be used to create computer games and animated stories, to robotics tools like Dot & Dash and mBot. Mr. Himmy lights up when he recalls how his students felt so accomplished when they were able to see the games that they had brainstormed and planned on paper materialised as online games with the instructors’ guidance using Scratch. Mr. Himmy says, “That is why the students are constantly encouraged to express their creativity and challenge boundaries at Tink Tank,” For instance, a perennial kids favourite is the fruit piano segment where they code a virtual piano and play on the fruits by connecting it to Makey Makey, a tool that allows for indirect control of the keyboard. Now, who says a piano must be black and white?

“If your child has even a slight interest in computer, gaming, technology – Tink Tank’s program will open up a fun new world of coding through a series of games and using kid-friendly coding platform, like Scratch. The small class size is a plus, and compared to workshops my 8-year-old had done in the past, the instructors are stellar. My son is already looking forward to the next Tink Tank class!” – Parent of 8-year-old Cai Penn

3. Programming is fun and it develops important life skills

Though coding may seem very technical and possibly daunting, it is a myth that the skills gained are confined to the realms of the computer lab. Participants of Tink Tank’s programs are also developing important life skills, such as presentation skills, as they are encouraged to actively ask and answer questions in class, and will get the opportunity to present their final creations to their parents. Also, students are put through collaborative exercises that gives them the opportunity to work together, solve problems and learn from each other. To Mr Deddy and Mr Himmy, the growth of the students is more important than school size itself. They promise a 1:4 teacher-student ratio to ensure an intimate, hands-on learning experience, compared to the 1:8 ratio in the market currently. “We get really excited when we see our students grow, and we regularly communicate the student’s individual progress to parents. We want to go the extra mile for our students, “they concluded.

“The Tink Tank workshop has been an extremely engaging program for my daughter. The staff have made the “lesson” super interesting and more importantly, making learning fun! Kudos to the team!” – Parent of 12 year old Ivory.

Just as how Maths and Science shape our world now, our children’s world will be shaped by computers and connected devices. Computer programming has been increasingly incorporated into the Singapore education system, with a new O-level subject called computing introduced this year. As kids have an easier time picking up skills than adults, it’s important to get them started on their coding journey early. If your children have not learnt how to program, now’s the time to start.

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Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

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5 Questions to Boost Problem Solving Skills in Your Child

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

March 25, 2016

Your child is doing the school homework and tells you, “I don’t understand this.” How do you respond to this? Your response has far reaching effects on the problem solving skills and learning attitude of your child.

What do you do when your child says “I don’t understand this”? Do you immediately help your child? Do you feel it is your responsibility to teach your child with all the details? It may help your child’s curiosity short-term or save your time short-term. However, you are wasting a golden opportunity to enrich your child with critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Next time when your child says “I don’t understand this”, resist your urge to give the details and guide your child to solve the problem. Asking the right questions will help your child to build their curiosity and critical thinking skills. When they solve the problem by themselves following your careful guidance, they feel more confident. They will be more open to trying out more challenging problems in the future. These are some questions you can ask your child for a guided problem solving process:

Question #1: “What problem are you trying to solve?”

Image courtesy of potowizard at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

May be your child has not understood the question well. It is the questions that lead to more questions, answers and knowledge. Help your child to understand the question. Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

Question #2: “What have you done so far to solve this?”

This is a great question to help your child evaluate what they have done so far about it. Taking stock of the situation helps in charting the next step. May be your child was not approaching the question the right way. Your question will help them to take the next small step in solving the problem.

Question #3: “Where exactly are you facing the problem?”

May be your child does not need the answer for the entire question. In reality, they might be stuck at a tiny portion of the big problem. This question will help your child to divide the problem into sub-problems and think through these sub-problems one at a time.

Question #4: “Have you taken any class notes on it?”

Recollection is a great technique that helps us to remember something we have learned before. This question will help your child to go through their notes and recollect the discussion in the class.

Question #5: “Did you talk to your friends about it?”

Your child’s classmates would be able to remind them of how the topic was tackled in the class. This is a great way for your child to understand the significance of collaboration and brainstorming in learning.

Is your child still struggling to solve the problem? Tell them not to panic. Give them the assurance that you are with them in their effort to solve the problem. Ask them more questions with hidden clues to lead them to think in the right direction.

Do not forget to congratulate your child for the efforts they made. Let them know the specific problem solving skills they used well so that they will feel empowered to use those skills to solve other issues as well. “Your perseverance helped you reach this far”, “It is your ability to divide the problems into sub-problems that helped to solve the problem”, “It is your ability to collaborate with others that helped you here”, “You are developing your problem solving skills well”, are some of the congratulatory phrases you can use to encourage and empower your child. After all, learning is all about acquiring new skills to solve problems.

Please visit Growth Mindset Camp, Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp, Thinkers Unlimited Workshop and Creative Problem Solving Workshop for our workshops on thinking skills and design thinking.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

The Mathematically Challenged Child

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

February 15, 2016

mathematically challenged child - dyscalculia

“That is enough of fooling around, Nicole. You are doing finger counting. It is straight forward and there is no confusion. You are trying to make it sound like you are mathematically challenged. Stop all those silly excuses, focus and finish your work in two minutes. ”

Helen was fed up of her otherwise angelic eight year old daughter Nicole’s excuses to avoid Mathematics. Nicole hated Maths and Helen wanted to change Nicole’s attitude towards Maths.

But, Nicole was facing a much more difficult situation than Helen. Nicole found it weird that she was not able to understand the mathematical concepts most of her friends seemed to pick up easily at school. She had difficulty in imagining a number line and she found it hard to count objects in groups, even when the group was as little as two to three objects.

At the age of ten, Nicole found it really annoying that her classmates said addition and subtraction were easy when she still had no clue about how it worked. Her inability to do Maths reflected not only in her low Maths grades but her self-esteem was also shattered. Nicole felt no one was able to understand her situation. So, she did not share her worries with anyone, not even with Helen. Nicole started spending her time inside the locked doors of her room after school. Helen was worried, she felt she did not understand her daughter at all.

Nicole’s low confidence attracted bullies towards her. The next four years she suffered severe bullying, without the knowledge of her family. Panic attacks became part of her life.

It was then that a new teacher joined the school. The teacher noticed Nicole’s behavior and her performance. She observed that Nicole was performing extremely well in writing and drawing. She advised Helen to test Nicole for dyscalculia.

The results came back positive for Nicole. She was diagnosed with dyscalculia at the age of fifteen. Nicole was mathematically challenged, but that was not a measure of her intelligence. Her test results came back with very high IQ scores. Her high IQ helped her breeze through all other subjects except Maths.

When Helen came to know about this relatively unknown learning difficulty, she felt guilty. She realized her child was not ‘acting’ mathematically challenged. She realized that it was not her child’s carelessness that resulted in her poor performance in Maths. She realized that she needed to help her child. Nicole was relieved, as she realised that she could stop blaming herself for not getting the results for all the hard work she has been putting in.

Helen was able to find help for Nicole and later she moved Nicole to a school where she could learn Mathematics up to her ability.

What is Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a brain disorder that causes severe difficulty in learning and comprehending arithmetic among the sufferers. It is also known as Mathematics Learning Disability and Math Dyslexia.

What are the Symptoms of Dyscalculia

Have you ever felt that your child or a loved one is mathematically challenged? Do you think they could be suffering from Dyscalculia?

Helen gave me a list of symptoms she now thinks she had overlooked in the past. The list below also includes some pointers from AboutDyscalculia.org.

Difficulty in reading analog clocks
Difficulty in stating which of two numbers is larger (for example, is 6 larger or smaller than 4)
Particular difficulty with subtraction
Difficulty with multiplication tables
Difficulties with imagining a mental number line
Difficulties with finger counting
Many symptoms of dyslexia
Attention deficiency (not in all cases)
Anxiety towards maths
Difficulties with budgeting

You can find a comprehensive set of symptoms at AboutDyscalculia.org.

You may find these symptoms in many young children when they start to learn the concepts. So, instead of jumping into a panic mode, please take some time to assess whether your child’s confusion with numbers is age appropriate or it is something you need to really worry about. If you worry that your child could have this disability, please approach an expert for a diagnosis.

What is the Next Step if your Child gets diagnosed with Dyscalculia

Nicole got diagnosed at 15. So, the child who should have been diagnosed with dyscalculia and ADD when she was at least in primary school, did not receive the diagnosis and treatment until the age of 15. But, it still was not too late.

The parents got the counseling on how to deal with the situation. Helen and the whole family rallied behind Nicole to support her to regain her lost confidence. They moved Nicole to a school system that acknowledged and understood the condition. The new school supported her to pursue excellence in other areas of her life in spite of her disability. They got special permission from the examination board so that Nicole does not need to learn math as a subject. She still learned math, but that matched her ability to learn it.

Now, Nicole is a smart and confident 19 year old pursuing her undergraduate degree in Australia. She has proved herself to be a good writer and a stage artist. She is not learning math, but that is neither dampening her future nor her enthusiasm for learning.

The world is slowly coming to acknowledge Mathematics Learning Disability. Every year the Dyscalculia Day is held on the third day of March to spread the awareness about dyscalculia.

In Asian culture, Maths is given a lot of importance. There are a lot of gadgets and Apps in today’s world to support us with our day to day Mathematical needs. If a child is mathematically challenged, it does not stop them from achieving greatness and enjoying a normal life.

If your child or a loved one gets diagnosed with dyscalculia, the best thing you can do is to accept and understand the situation. Once you become aware and understanding, it will be easier for you to find ways to support them. You can find a lot more information on dyscalculia at http://www.aboutdyscalculia.org and http://www.dyscalculia.org.

Please visit ACE Minds^ Workshop for our workshop on study skills and Growth Mindset Camp for mindset cultivating right mindset for academic and personal success.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

This is How Bullying Could Affect Your Child’s Self-esteem

Posted by Angela Fryklund on

February 1, 2016

I was hurt, I was in pain, I was shattered.

What I had endured from the age of 10 to 14 years old had left deep emotional wounds that would not heal. It was easier to numb the pain by suppressing it and seeking other unhealthy ways of coping. The subconscious mind is a powerful thing. It controls our thoughts, feelings, and resulting behaviors. As much as I try to hide, ignore, or deny the pain of bullying, it is always there stored away in the subconscious part of my mind.

When it started I didn’t realize it really started.

As a young child, I remember desperately wanting to be liked and accepted by my peers. At 10, I was at an impressionable age trying to discover who I was and where I fit in. The bullying I experienced was what many refer to as friendship bullying. Every friend I thought I had, at some point turned on me in a very vicious way through verbal, physical, and social bullying. They were the popular girls, and had a lot of social influence and power. As a result, when the bullying started, I had no one. When they turned on me, the entire school either participated in the bullying or stood by and did nothing.

During the 80’s bullying was not taken seriously and was not even recognized as an issue that needed attention. It was considered a rite of passage and so, I had no support from the school or the teachers. I was alone. It was the single most painful experience of my life. The shame left me feeling unworthy of love and acceptance

My Self-esteem. My Thoughts. My Feelings. My Actions.

When we are bullied and continually beaten down with fists, words or through social humiliation, there is a cause and effect reaction that occurs. Our experience will begin to change the thoughts we consciously have about ourselves. Those thoughts then create feelings that are stored within our subconscious and ultimately determine our actions and behaviors. I’ll use my own experience to illustrate how Self-Esteem (thoughts about ourselves) trigger our feelings or emotions, that then result in our actions or behaviours.

The physical, verbal, and social bullying that I was subjected to for a period of over three years led to the following thoughts, feelings and actions.

My Thoughts

“No one likes me or cares about me.”

“Nothing good will ever happen to me.”

“There’s something wrong with me.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“I wish I was someone else.”

My Feelings

Loneliness, hopelessness, anger, fear, self-consciousness, insecurity, and paranoia.

My Actions / Behaviors

I would criticise and gossip negatively about others to feel better about myself. I became outwardly aggressive towards others to feel powerful. I sought any form of attention that made me feel loved and accepted. I avoided social situations or new experiences so I wouldn’t feel inadequate or scared. I married and stayed with an alcoholic because I believed I didn’t deserve any better. I became a perfectionist at work because it gave me a false sense of worth and value. I always anticipated and thought the worst of every situation to protect myself from feeling disappointed or hurt.

The list goes on. Of course not everyone who is bullied will experience low self-esteem or have the same thoughts, feelings and behaviors. There are other factors that contribute to the severity of damage on ones sense of worth from bullying. For example, support from schools and teachers, a child’s home environment, their resilience, and the duration of the abuse has a direct link to the severity of the effect.

In my case, I did not have the support of anyone and the duration was over a period of three years. My behaviours were clearly destructive and part of a cycle that created more feelings of guilt, resentment, fear, and sadness. In the process, I deprived myself of joy and happiness. I became someone I didn’t want to be, someone controlled by their emotions.

The longer we suffer from low self-esteem, the more habitual our thought patterns become and the more difficult it is to alter or change our behaviors. The good news is, we consciously choose our thoughts about ourselves. This is our “Self-Talk”. We can choose to belittle and degrade ourselves, or we can be loving and accepting of who we are.

What can you do to help?

Do you know a child or an adult suffering from bullying? It is critical to understand a few factors if you want to help them.

1. Often it is the devastating shame they feel that keeps targets of bullying from talking about the emotional trauma.

2. Healing can only begin when we talk about the shame. To prevent possible long term mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, one must often relive the painful trauma and talk openly about how they are feeling. This should be done in a safe, trusting environment with a professional who understands the issue of bullying.

3. As parents and care givers we must have a heightened awareness of the bullying epidemic. Know the signs and if you suspect someone you care for is being bullied seek help.

4. We must never underestimate or minimize the profound effect bullying can have on one’s self-esteem and how that lack of self-esteem can drive unhealthy behaviours.

5. If you or someone you know is suffering from the residual effects of bullying please reach out for help.

Read 10 things every parent needs to know to protect their children from bullying to know more about how you can prevent, support and protect a child.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Angela Fryklund

Angela Fryklund is the founder of Beyond Bullying Recovery Services, Ontario, Canada. She works with people who want to recover from the emotional effects of bullying and to restore their self-worth. She is also a speaker and speaks to youth on the potential long-term mental health issues related to bullying by sharing her own personal story. Angela is a certified professional coach with the Certified Coaches Federation of Canada and also with the John Maxwell Team.

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Confident Child: Top 3 things every parent needs to do to create a confidence boosting culture at home

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

March 27, 2015

The discussion on whether confidence is nature or nurture has been around since a long time. When it comes to parenting, it always opens up many other questions. When a confident child find more opportunities, many parents wonder what can they do to make their child too more confident.

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou.

Are today’s kids really keeping more and more to themselves? Are kids today really less confident than they used to be? Is technology keeping kids away from human interactions?

While it is easy to find conflicting arguments on these topics from various sources, there is no controversy in the fact that self-confidence is an important key to success. The more opportunities a child receives, to deal with people and manage situations, the better their self-confidence develops. Many parents wonder how they can set conditions at home so that their children acquire the skills to build their competence and boost their confidence.

The good news about self-confidence is that it is something that can be nurtured, nourished and boosted with right guidance and preparation. Here we have some tips you can follow on a day-to-day basis to boost your child’s confidence to prepare your child to take up the challenges of life. Select one activity from each of the below areas every day and observe how a confident child emerges and spreads their wings.

1. Ignite Curiosity

Children are born curious. Their curious minds are like sponges, they can absorb a lot of knowledge. They get immense confidence from the various ways they amass their knowledge. However, the aggressive demands of today’s school system put a detrimental effect to their curiosity. A major part of their curiosity diminishes as they progress through school. Only a few manage to keep the streaks of curiosity alive amidst the pressures of the school system. But, you can help them still be in touch with their curious self.

I. Do simple science experiments at home: This is a good way to make kids wonder about things around.

II. Discuss your family history with your child: What is more interesting than getting curious about one’s own self?

III. Ask them ‘What if…’ and ‘Do you know…’ questions.

2. Promote Creativity

According to a survey by IBM of over 1500 CEOs, Creativity is one of the most important skills required to be successful in the 21st century. Contrary to popular belief, creativity can be taught and nurtured. These are some easy to follow activities that you can do at home to engage your child’s creative confidence. When you acknowledge your child’s creativity, give opportunities to express that creativity and show willingness to discuss about it, you will see him/her developing into a confident child.

I. Make your own story: Make a story from a picture, with your child. To make the best out of it, set aside a family time slot for ‘When a picture tells a story’. You can refer to The Kidz Parade magazine (download 2 free issues here) for pictures of this category.

II. Allow your child to read for pleasure: Reading helps your child to visualize a situation. It helps in igniting creative sparks in them. They will feel tempted to discuss about their creativity. More communication could pave the way towards a more confident child.

III. Show enthusiasm to appreciate your child’s ideas: But, keep in mind that creativity is not just ideation. It is also about taking action to implement these ideas. Showing interest in their ideas and providing motivation in trying out some those ideas are the best encouragement you can provide to boost their creative confidence. An increased creative confidence could lead towards a more confident child.

IV. Brainstorm together on topics related to your family: What will you do on the weekend, should you you have a TV-free day, what should you cook for dinner… the topics are unlimited.

3. Provide Inspiration

People tend to look at inspirations as benchmarks and when you have benchmarks, you try to achieve as great or better than that. There are many ways you can develop the habit in your kids to look out for inspiration.

I. Encourage your child to express their viewpoints: Make opportunities for them to communicate their opinions about their experiences, observations and aspirations.

II. Teach your child to learn from mistakes: We have heard this many times. But, it never loses its magic touch. Discuss a time when you failed, but took up the challenge and succeeded.

III. Bring your child’s attention to the achievements of people they can relate to: Provide your child with opportunities to feel “If they can do it, I can also do it”. Inspiration need not always come from a famous person. Kids get more inspired by the achievements of their peers. Discuss with them how your peers inspire you.

IV. Provide them with opportunities to make changes in their society: You blame our academic system or their age or the human nature, but most children build limits to their ability to make a difference in this world. What if they start a club to stand for a cause they are passionate about? It could be as simple as a nature club they start at your home with their best friend.

The children will eventually grow up, figure out how to live their lives and they will spread their wings. How well they will spread their wings depends mainly on the unconditional love and the opportunities for confidence building they experience now.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Archive for kidz parade – Page 2

1. Ask your child about their questioning ventures of the day

2. Help to manage the anxiety of looking stupid in front of others

3. Promote communication skills in your child

About Sindu Sreebhavan

What makes the thinking skills of children drop as they grow older?

How you can help your child to maximise their thinking potential?

About Sindu Sreebhavan

1. Programming build up problem solving and computational thinking skills

2. Programming empowers children with confidence and creativity

3. Programming is fun and it develops important life skills

Question #1: “What problem are you trying to solve?”

Question #2: “What have you done so far to solve this?”

Question #3: “Where exactly are you facing the problem?”

Question #4: “Have you taken any class notes on it?”

Question #5: “Did you talk to your friends about it?”

About Sindu Sreebhavan

What is Dyscalculia

What are the Symptoms of Dyscalculia

Difficulty in reading analog clocks

Difficulty in stating which of two numbers is larger (for example, is 6 larger or smaller than 4)

Particular difficulty with subtraction

Difficulty with multiplication tables

Difficulties with imagining a mental number line

Difficulties with finger counting

Many symptoms of dyslexia

Attention deficiency (not in all cases)

Anxiety towards maths

Difficulties with budgeting

What is the Next Step if your Child gets diagnosed with Dyscalculia

About Sindu Sreebhavan

When it started I didn’t realize it really started.

My Self-esteem. My Thoughts. My Feelings. My Actions.

My Thoughts

My Feelings

My Actions / Behaviors

What can you do to help?

1. Often it is the devastating shame they feel that keeps targets of bullying from talking about the emotional trauma.

3. As parents and care givers we must have a heightened awareness of the bullying epidemic. Know the signs and if you suspect someone you care for is being bullied seek help.

4. We must never underestimate or minimize the profound effect bullying can have on one’s self-esteem and how that lack of self-esteem can drive unhealthy behaviours.

5. If you or someone you know is suffering from the residual effects of bullying please reach out for help.

About Angela Fryklund

1. Ignite Curiosity

2. Promote Creativity

3. Provide Inspiration

About Sindu Sreebhavan