Kid’s Interests & Passions: Parents, Here Is Why & How You Should Support Them! by Renee

Earning straight As or making the sports team are often some of the most rewarding moments for parents. Those milestones are great and should be celebrated, but for me, some of the proudest moments I’ve had as a parent have been when my son discovered a new interest and threw himself into learning all that he could about it. A few passions that I’ve witnessed my son becoming an expert in include arachnids, sewing, stop-motion videos, and most recently WWI weapons. 

Passions and interests are where we have the potential to make meaningful contributions to life. When children are supported in their learning, they thrive. Not only do they become more resourceful but they also develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. So when your child tells you they find a topic or hobby interesting, run with it! Here are a few things that you can do to best support your child’s creativity and thirst for knowledge: 

• Provide opportunities for authentic learning. 
• Don't intervene immediately when your child is brainstorming or trying to come up with a solution. 
• Ask open-ended questions. 
• Encourage critical thinking in new and different ways.