How to Instill a Love for Learning in Your Children

Learning to an infant is a matter of survival, as they learn very quickly how to get their needs met. This is a very good thing, especially when your baby provides you with important distinguishable clues within their cries; however the game of parental manipulation has begun.

Let the Learning Begin

If you let them, your children will work very hard to manipulate you the rest of their little lives. Because children do not always want what is best for them, it's up to us to encourage them, while constantly redirecting their focus.

Helping your children focus on doing for themselves (under your supervision) not only assures their safety, but shows them your interest in learning too. Learning is a life-long process from birth until death, and should be enjoyed by parents as well as children.

Class Enrollments

One of our many tasks as parents is to instill a love of life-long learning to our children, instead of trying to do everything for them. We can accomplish this by becoming good role models.

Becoming a good role model could be accomplished by either going back to school to finish our degrees, or by enrolling in any number of free classes offered throughout our communities. Most community resource centers offer a montage of free or sliding-scale parent/child courses.

Within a safe and protected environment everyone learns more; whether utilizing college campus preschool or infant-care facilities during class hours, or taking free weekend classes together with your kids. Check with your college for child-care programs, as well as city Human Resources or Parks and Recreation Departments for community-sponsored parent/child courses and programs.

Community Programs

Faith based daycare programs and courses are also offered at local area churches and synagogues. For a complete program listing refer to individual weekly or monthly newsletters, for family classes offered on many topics from choir and quilting, to family missionary trainings.

Local libraries, community centers, and schools, offer free and fee-based courses for parents along with their kids. My kids and I have taken many courses together over the years, and we have all learned more together; each of us taking away something different from the same classes.

Courses Available

Some of the parent/child courses available in our area have been Kinder Music, and the Mommy & Me exercise programs. Faith-based Wacky Science and volunteer Cookie-Baking programs have been offered at our church over the years.

Similar programs and numerous other courses are also available through local community Human Services Centers. Libraries offer theme-weekends and summer family-reading programs to foster a love of learning.

Area Parks and Recreation Centers provide weekly and monthly family programs including seasonal arts, crafts, and sports. Larger home improvement and outdoorsmen-sports emporiums in your town offer many practical family-style camping, sporting, and do-it-yourself courses.

When your kids see how involved you are learning new things they will want to join in the fun. With so many great family programs available you will be able to instill a life-long love of learning in your children.