What are some ways to teach leadership to children? Leadership is a skill that can be taught to children sans the pressure and guided through the process at their own pace. Developing leadership skills in children begins at home. The following are simple steps on how parents can develop leadership skills in children.

Hone Your Toddler’s Communication Skills

Good leaders are good communicators, and this can be achieved by teaching your toddler early. Work on your toddler’s reading and speaking. You can do this by reading something to your toddler and then asking him to narrate the story back to you. If he knows how to read, ask your little one to read you a book. Hold conversations with your toddler. Ask him anything under the sun – how his day was, what he did, his thoughts about the movie you watched together, events, etc. In addition, teach your toddler to talk in a calm and courteous manner and to listen carefully when someone is talking.

Promote Independence

Allow your toddler to do things for himself. If he says he can do it, let him do it. Give your toddler responsibilities by giving him age-appropriate chores such as setting up the table, making his bed and sorting clothes. Even if you might have to redo them, at least you are giving your child an opportunity to flourish. Also, encourage independent play. This is an excellent way to encourage your toddler to look for ways to entertain himself instead of providing him a solution.

Encourage Your Toddler To Volunteer

One effective way to develop leadership skills in children is to train your toddler to volunteer. You can encourage this by letting your toddler make decisions. For instance, he can take part in deciding what to eat for dinner, help plan a weekend trip or choose new sheets and linens for his bed.
Furthermore, why not do community service together. Visit soup kitchens, animal shelters and homeless shelters. Or, why not organize an outreach program or a garage sale and donate your earnings to charity. These experiences will help empower your toddler and teach him how to have a positive impact on others.

Hone Your Toddler’s Talents

Another very good way to instil leadership skills in children is to nurture their talents and interests. If your toddler loves to play basketball or likes playing the piano, enroll him in a class. Pursuing something he is passionate about will make him feel comfortable and later take on a leadership role.

Increase Social Interaction

The best way to practice leadership skills in children is through exposure. Organize play dates with other moms in your neighbourhood. Let him spend more time in the playground. Sign him up for art or singing lessons. By surrounding your toddler with people, you are giving him an opportunity not just to lead but to learn teamwork.

Let Your Toddler Express Himself

Encourage your toddler to express himself. When a child is free to voice out his thoughts, ideas and opinions, he feels more confident. You can help by encouraging him to speak out. But, do not disregard angry outbursts or impose silence. Instead, recommend alternative ways of self-expression. Learning how to speak tactfully and assertively are two traits of becoming a good leader.

Give Praise

When your little one accomplishes something, do not forget to praise it whether it is getting a high score in his assignment, learning how to tie his own shoes or writing cleanly or reading faster. You might say, “I am so proud of you that you know how to tie your shoelaces without any help!”. In your toddler’s young age, small steps mean a lot and he will feel good with his achievements. When he feels good, he builds up his self-esteem which is essential to developing leadership skills.

Teach By Example

Keep in mind that whatever parents do, children follow. Your toddler is your best imitator so whatever you say or do, he will surely mimic. Be the type of leader you want your toddler to be by being your toddler’s role model. Be involved. Help others. Volunteer. Take initiatives in everyday life. Explain to your toddler what you are doing and the reason why you are doing it.

Being a leader is not something innate, it has to be taught and nurtured. Every child has the potential to develop leadership skills. Hence, it is imperative for parents to develop leadership skills in children to guarantee them a brighter future.

Toddlers are at a point in their lives where they are discovering new things. However, these discoveries can be frightening for a young child. Here are some effective tips on how to help a child with anxiety.

Respect Your Toddler’s Feelings

Recognize your toddler’s fears. Telling your toddler to stop being anxious or worrying about his fears does not help at all. It will only increase his uncertainties and make your toddler feel like he is doing something wrong by feeling anxious. Let him know it is normal for a person to feel bad or terrified of something and at the same time reassure your little one that you will stay by his side to help him conquer these fears.

Listen

Listening is a skill every parent needs to learn. Listen to your child as he narrates his nightmare about a three-eyed giant with small feet or how uneasy he is meeting his classmates for the first time. Listening is a very effective technique used to help a child with anxiety. Plus, by getting your toddler to talk, you might be able to identify the source of his fear. For instance, you might find out that his fear of the water is actually a fear of sharks, which, you can clarify, do not live in pools.

Help Your Toddler Identify Feelings

Another way on how you can help a child with anxiety is to teach your little one how to recognize his feelings. Help him name different emotions. Demonstrate how others express their fears by saying “I’m scared.” or “Please do not leave me alone.”, avoiding eye contact, raised eyebrows, flared nostrils, wide eyes, tightly clenched mouth, lip biting, busy hands, butterflies in the tummy, quick breathing and distance.

Stick To Routines

Routines are very important for toddlers because they thrive on consistency. Follow his morning and bedtime routine as much as possible. This way, even if there are some changes, he still has something customary to look forward to which helps alleviate his anxiety.

Provide Distractions

Do something your toddler will enjoy. If he loves being active, go outside and play a game of tag or hide and seek. Go for a run around your neighbourhood. Go to the playground so he can spend time with other children. Help him finish jigsaw puzzles. Doing things he is interested in provides a feeling of comfort and security. But, make sure you do not overschedule or you will end up overwhelming an already anxious child.

Teach Your Toddler Relaxation Techniques

Unwinding is also a very effective activity that can help a child with anxiety. Play some soft music and ask you toddler to lie on the bed. Read books together. Teach him to count to ten and to take deep breaths. Do these 10 minutes each day and watch your toddler’s tense muscles let loose.

Reaffirm

Spend time with your toddler. Cuddle him in your lap. Give him a big hug. Talk about happy things. Tell your toddler you love him and show him you have faith in him by saying “I know starting preschool is tough, but I am very sure you will find a way to handle this.”.

Most of all, set a calm example. This is the most important thing you can do to help a child with anxiety. Keep your emotions in check. When you are relaxed, your anxious child will feel your calmness and this feeling will rub off on him.

Raising children entails nurturing all aspects of their development, and one of those is their emotions. Here are simple but fun activities to enhance the emotional development in children.

Play Dates

Give your toddler a chance to learn cooperative play by joining play dates. Better yet, organize your own play date and ask your neighbour’s kids or children of your relative and friends to come over your house. Provide them with structured yet entertaining activities such as an arts and craft project, decorating cookies, playing with clay, make-your-own pizza or a puppet show. Play dates allow toddlers to practice social interaction which help them hone their emotional skills (respect, sharing, listening, taking turns, etc.) that are helpful in building friendships.

Play Games

Play games with your toddler that will require him to wait for his turn and follow directions such as rolling or kicking a ball back and forth, Memory game, Noisy Animals, Bounce, Balloon Fun and Following Directions.

Household Chores

Assign your toddler things to do at home. It can be as simple as making his own bed, putting clothes in the dryer, setting the table, feeding the family pet or watering the plants. Praise him for a job well done. This gives him a sense of accomplishment and happiness in his own work which makes him feel confident. If he fails, do not ridicule but give encouragement so he is motivated to try again.

Pretend Play

Gather your toddler’s friends, dress them up in different characters or give them puppets. Give them scenarios such as a friend who does not want to share his toy with his playmate and then let them act out how they will handle the situation. Pretend play teaches toddler how to properly deal with situations they might encounter.

Classes or Workshops

If your toddler loves to play ball, enroll him in a basketball workshop or if he likes tinkering with instruments, let him join a music class. Encouraging your little one to join classes and workshops not only promotes teamwork and sportsmanship, but it also teaches your toddler to focus. Plus, being active helps your toddler deal with negative feelings better since he has an outlet for his emotions.

Go Out

Stop spending time indoors and take your little one outside. Visit parks, museums, zoos, stores, public markets or restaurants. Run errands. Let him help you with the groceries. These simple things teach your toddler how to interact with others by imitating your actions. Sooner or later, he will be ready to mingle with people of all ages.

Have Alone Time

Teach your toddler how to process emotions on his own by giving him space. Choose an area in your home with little distractions as his alone spot, place a small table and chair and some papers and crayons, puzzles, blocks or balls. This will serve as his area to get to know himself, his feelings and thoughts.

Nurturing you toddler’s emotional skills is very essential for it teaches him how to deal with different situations he will face later on in life. So start early and follow the tips above!

As toddlers grow, their need for identity and thirst to do things on their own also gets stronger. It is very important that parents prepare their children for adult life as early as possible, and that means teaching toddlers to be independent. Here are some tips on how to do it.

Create A Routine

The best way to teach your toddler independence is by building a routine. Routine creates consistency which is essential in helping children thrive. Establish a morning and bedtime routine and make sure you stick to it. Soon, your toddler will find his independence and complete tasks without you having to tell him.

Demonstrate It

Being able to do a job well promotes a sense of independence and accomplishment in your toddler. But in order to foster his abilities, you will have to show him how things are done step by step. While doing so, talk about what you are doing, let him assist you and then watch him do it on his own. For instance, you can show him how to dress himself by helping him put on a shirt first, then shorts, then socks and then have him do it. Do not forget to give him a pat on the back for trying.

Have Your Toddler Look After His Things

Tell your toddler that he is responsible of his own stuff. For instance, if he leaves dirty clothes scattered on the floor instead of putting them in the hamper, do not pick them up. Tell him to pick them up. Teach him how to put his shoes on the shoe rack after he comes home from school, how to make his bed every morning and so on.

Assign A Task

Give your little one age-appropriate chores around the house. Tell him that it is his responsibility to store his toys after he is done playing with them, to keep his bedroom clean or to clear the table after dinner. Better yet, let him pitch in. If your toddler wants to help you cook, clean or fix something, find a way for your toddler to help you. He may not be able to mop the floor, but you can ask him to fetch you a clean rug.

Let Your Toddler Make Choices

Saying no all the time does not guarantee your toddler will not fail and make bad choices. Once in a while, let your child take the lead and let him fail. If, for example, your toddler insists on eating all of his food in one sitting, let him. At some point, he will get hungry and realize that he has no more food left and that eating only small amounts of food makes more sense. When you allow him to make his own choices, you give your toddler a chance to learn and grow.

Be A Helper, Not A Solver

Do not step in and solve your toddler’s problems. Help your toddler figure it out instead. Ask things like, “How would you handle this situation?”. Just guide him and give him tools to solve problems on his own. He will feel more accomplished afterwards than if you resolved the problem for him.

Teaching your toddler how to be independent at an early age is very important. He will grow and live his own life, and this skill will come in handy so he can endure both the good and bad times.