How to Help Your Child to Be a Better Problem-Solver

How to Help Your Child to Be a Better Problem-Solver

Written by Christine Kritzas, Counselling Psychologist at The LightHouse Arabia and Co-creator of Smart Heart Board Game
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1. Encourage independent thinking by first asking your child how they would solve this problem which they are facing.
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2. Manage your own anxiety as a parent around struggling with seeing your child facing their own problems. Many times parents can’t handle seeing their children in pain or wrestling with a problem, so they quickly solve it for them - this does children a disservice in the future because they will not know how to solve their own problems and will always turn to others to give them the answers.
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3. Teach them how to brainstorm for solutions. Give them a sheet of paper and ask them to write down 3 possible solutions to tackle this problem. Ask them to share the pros and cons of each solution. What will the consequences (positive or negative) be if they choose either solution?
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4. Teach your child to take ownership for the solution they choose so that they are aware that their choices in life will have certain consequences (positive or negative).
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5. Explore the route of the problem with your child. What actions led to them
experiencing this problem? What would they do differently next time? This is how children learn from their mistakes, by talking them through what happened, not through criticism and blame, but through understanding and compassion.
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