Self-Control. A life skill difficult to grasp and a challenge to develop. There are ways to help guide children, to nurture self-control.
Between my go-to Montessori books, recently completing a book called NurtureShock, and subsequently becoming obsessed with the Tools of the Mind curriculum, my mind is buzzing with little things my husband and I can bring into our home EVERY DAY to help our children develop creative thinking, self-control, and self-esteem.
To be fair, I am an ordinary parent, I just happen to read a lot. So what I have to offer YOU are tidbits that you can apply every day that I have pulled from my readings. The below list is what I have taken from my experiences.
I am not a scientist or a psychologist, just a lifelong learner and parent always looking for simple and easy ways to help develop my children into strong, good and productive individuals. So, that is my disclaimer.
5 Easy Ways to Help Kids Not Fail at Self-Control
Is it possible to teach self-control? The answer, based on science, is YES.
Not only will children learn to self-regulate through key activities, but they will also be more motivated going forward. They are given the opportunity to choose what they are doing and have control over what they are doing, which leads to social and emotional learning.
What You Can Do to Foster Self-Control
- Play the freeze game – play music and have your child dance or draw while the music is playing and stop when the music stops playing
- Implement a Clean-Up Song – When this song is played in your home, your child will know to stop the activity and begin clean-up time
- Pretend Play – Lots and lots of pretend play encourages and helps develop self-regulation skills. My son is still quite young so I encourage him to think about his path and what he wants to do in his “doctor’s office” or “restaurant”.
- Ask “What is Your Plan?” This simple question works early in executive function skills. It causes the child to stop and pause for a moment before ripping into the next idea on his mind.
- Walk the Line exercises
I have so much more to write on this topic so expect another post soon. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for visiting!
Marnie