Helping Your Children Develop Their Talents

In WHY JOHNNY CAN'T ADD: The Failure of the New Math, Morris Kline quotes Hermann Weyl, one of the great mathematicians of our time, and a man who worked in many branches of mathematics and mathematical physics, who said in 1951, ".. It seems an irony of creation that man's mind knows how to handle things better, the farther removed they are from the center of his existence. "

Moving the theme of this note away from the center of my existence, I ask, "What should I do to help a plant develop to be the best plant it can be?

Embedded in its DNA, a plant has everything to be all-it-can-be; always ready to do what its programming commands. One can't make it better, but one can help to product its best.

How?

• Prepare and water its soil; it will absorb the optimal diet.
• Position it for correct solar exposure; it will grow robustly.
• Feed it nutrients; it will maximize its output.
• Keep it free from weeds; it will not be distracted from its maximum output.

If the plant is healthy, this regiment assures maximum output.

Translating this insight back into the center of my existence and readdressing the original topic; we get, three aids to develop your child's talent:

• Love your child and teach him to love himself.
• Provide many diverse and enriching experiences.
• Teach him to be disciplined and focused.

Love your child and teach him how to love himself: Everyone desires to be loved and to be wanted. But children crave love and they need it to develop into strong individuals. Devote uninterrupted time to him, it makes him feels important, wanted and good about himself. He will translate your undivided attention into, " I am worthy." Encouraging him to do something when this connection is strong, it will go a long way.

Teach your child to love himself; by teaching him to think highly of his abilities. Discourage the language, "I can't do Task A." Instead encourage, "At this time, I am not prepared to do Task A." Make clear this statement is the prelude to doing whatever it takes to position himself to successfully do Task A".

If your child learns to love himself, he will treat himself with dignity; cultivate the strength to resist bad advice; and resist other's suggestion of deviant behavior.

Provide many diverse and enriching experiences: They are the stages on which the little ones learn to master their roles to be participants in the world; it is there, confidence and self-esteem develop.

Here are some enriching experiences from "the book of life" that help develop the young ones:

• Talk to him; it develops his sense of self-strength.
• Ask him questions; it develops his self-expression.
• Take him to different domains; libraries, art galleries, sports outings, relatives in the countryside, tours of factories, and foreign and local places.
• Engage him in various activities: music lessons, lessons he enjoys, friendly conversations with adults in social settings at your home, physical activities associated with school and church, use of safe technology, etc. These experiences provide him with opportunities and training to learn this world.

Teach him to be disciplined and focused: Children love to imitate their parents. On a daily basis, do the same thing in the presence of the little one; it sets the stage for him to imitate your actions when you do it. If your demeanor is focused during these actions, likewise he will project a focused demeanor.

The benefits of these developmental aids are invaluable. They bear their best fruits when all work together. Each, reinforcing the development of the others; builds a strong, confident, determined, and focused individual.

Have you raised his talent level? I don't think so. But you have raised his ability to product the best his talent can offer.