Watching our two young bubs learn and grow is very much like unveiling a surprise gift; one that we do not know what we will discover, but nevertheless amaze us.
Now that little V is almost three, some of my memories of baby V are blurred (no thanks to mum’s brain!) while others are deeply etched in my mind because they pulled at my heartstrings.
Every child is different, they say. And they can’t be more right about that.
We watched our firstborn develop in so many ways, ways that we’ve never imagined (oh, the conversations we have now!), ways where we didn’t think would be expected of a toddler (say, WHUUUTT??) and ways we had impatiently thought should have been quicker.
As first-time parents then, there were tons of sources and well-meaning folks who shared this and that about parenting. Milestone guides, “my child can do this at X months, how about yours?!”, “Why is she not doing XXXX yet?” – all these sometimes made us lose sight that our own child is unique in her own ways. I questioned myself so many times, and blamed my less-than-zealous efforts to try a zillion ways to “help” her.
Everyone learns and develops at their own pace (adults too, isn’t it??), and there are just some things that cannot be rushed because nature would take its course in its most miraculous way, to unveil at the least expected time. Parents also need to remember to keep our own expectations in-check.
As parents, our energy is vital to the little one, to spur her on and channel a source of motivational drive.
Well, during our recent trip to Korea, we were greeted with a surprise.
There were flights of stairs at both our Airbnb lodgings, and many shops and restaurants in Korea were on the second or third levels. At first glance, it was definitely not child-friendly, and oh, the trouble of having to carry two young kids, a stroller and the diaper bag up and down! We were worried that Little Miss Cautious would want to be carried whenever we had to climb, but little did we know…. she had it all mapped out in her mind.
She was neither daunted nor helpless as we thought she would be. In fact, she excitedly climbed them ON HER OWN, refusing to hold my hand or daddy’s, but instinctively held onto the wall or railings for the first few seconds. Once she had her balance in place, her hands were free – I mean, LOOK AT HER GO!
We are cheerleaders to motivate our baby girl, because we hope to see her progress with each step (literally!). We do a round of high-fives, exclaim “Well done, Vera!”, “Good job, baby!” and “That was very brave of you, darling!” right from the time she first attempted stairs on her own when she was younger. Now, we see huge smiles and a more confident young lady all of 34 months old, and we realised that we’ve been taken on a parenting course all this while.
Motivation is not hard to do, and as parents, we lend our support to help nurture our kids from day one. Offering praises, telling them to “try again” when they fall, giving them hugs to get them going… there are more ways than one to share the infectious positive energy to help our kids explore and learn.
I realised that it was all a natural phenomenon we were fueling all this while, and were just waiting for things to blossom: The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is triggered, and intrinsic motivation comes into play by the person herself (in this case, Vera), where she enjoyed doing this interesting task of climbing and going down the stairs.
As researchers put it, “This natural motivational tendency is a critical element in cognitive, social, and physical development because it is through acting on one’s inherent interests that one grows in knowledge and skills.”
While mummy is not exactly artistically inclined, I’m thankful that there are symbolic items that we could use to help mark Vera’s efforts and achievements.
And our intention is straightforward: we tell her why she gets a motivation magnet, and we put it up where she can see it often, to be reminded of her achievements so she keeps going forward.
It’s a simple idea, and can be incorporated with a rewards chart too if you’re already using one at home. Afterall, we want to recognise our child’s effort and share her joy. Because with that, comes confidence which will continue to motivate her to open up and explore new things so she continues to grow in her own ways.
These locally designed and produced Kids Motivation Magnet Set from Tee-saurus are available here. They come in a set of 10, and there’s a special promotion going on at $35 (U.P. $50). Just for our readers, you get to save a further 10% off the promo price, so it’s only $31.50! Makes a perfect Children’s Day gift that’s coming right up!
We hope these colourful magnets come in handy in your parenting journey too. Afterall, the zest we received from our daughter was like a pat on our backs. We hope you experience the amplified boost of motivation right back from your own children too :)
***
***EXCLUSIVE READERS PERKS!***
Enjoy 10% off storewide!
PROMO CODE: HootingSaurus
Valid till 30 Oct 2016.
Terms and conditions:
– no minimum purchase required, whilst stock last.
About Tee-saurus
Singapore-based Tee-saurus aims to inspire everyone to strive for the better, and to face challenges with a dose of positivity and determination. Whether we are struggling to overcome obstacles or pursuing our passion and dreams, the going can get tough and that means the tough gets going. With their everyday products, Tee-saurus believes everyone needs a breath of optimism for the routes we take, and we can grow that energy together. Wear your dreams. Pave your road.
Connect with Tee-saurus: Facebook | Instagram
***
How do you motivate your children? Do share some fun and interesting ways that have worked to motivate your kids!
Follow our adventures on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and G+ too!
Kids can do a lot of amazing stuff.. sometimes all we have to do is support and encourage them. Sigh.. after reading your post it is making me miss Korea so much!! :P
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
Vera is so cute. Motivation comes from inside a person; we as parents do our parts to keep that inner drive burning by simply believing in them :)
Oh yeah… never compare and never underestimate a child. Is really amazing what they know that we don’t know… ;)
It’s amazing how our every word of encouragement can give our little ones so much courage to try and with every time they try sth, their confidence grow :)
Children love the feeling of being independent & the sense of achievement they get, the smile on their faces is priceless! :)
Well done, Vera!! Hope to be able to travel with my boy soon too 😉
Kids have wonderful imagination and as a parent if we can help to motivate that imagination into reality, nothing great than it.
Motivation is key to everything we do and as parents it’s perhaps one of the most important things we need to build up (and keep building up) in our kids. Your post reminds me to do just that and the buttons and stationeries are certainly attractive as motivational momentos.
Love this statement ! “..We realised that we’ve been taken on a parenting course all this while.”
The little ones are motivating us to be parents :)
Cheers, Andy
(SengkangBabies.com)