Children can achieve remarkable things with the right attitude and mindset. With this firm belief, Professor Allan Snyder spent decades researching neuroscience and the behaviours of successful individuals from across the globe, eventually distilling the three common traits that make up the Champion Mindset:
- An abhorrence to being ordinary
- The courage to confront conventional wisdom
- A conviction that adversity and failure are integral to success
While seemingly innate qualities, these characteristics can also be nurtured in primary school children as well, to help them build a stronger foundation for future success and fulfilment. With the year’s end drawing near, parents should look to engage in practical strategies to not just aid their child’s active learning, but also encourage their continual development of the Champion Mindset at home.
Here are five ways you can help grow your child’s Champion Mindset over the holidays:
1. Encourage Active Pursuit of Interests
The first step in helping your primary school child develop the Champion Mindset is to nurture their personal interests and passions. Allowing them to explore what they love without judgement or expectation will strengthen their motivation, drive, and determination. This means giving them sufficient time outside of tuition classes and completing the holiday homework to engage in other hobbies and school holiday activities.
Make sure to also provide your child with ample resources via books and access to technology that can help further pique curiosity and understanding of their interests. Consider accompanying them on trips to scientific exhibits, historical sites, art galleries and other related events as well — this could provide invaluable experiences that may spark new passions or further fuel existing ones in your kid.
2. Help Set Self-Improvement Goals
Another important facilitator of the Champion Mindset is a continuous commitment to self-improvement. Encourage your child to set goals beyond their academic accomplishments, and help them find activities that can cultivate this personal growth. Whether it’s something as straightforward as completing a series of books or something more ambitious such as mastering a new language, providing your child with tangible milestones can empower them to build the self-esteem and confidence they need to conquer any challenge they face in the future.
Encouraging them to take part in team sports or social events like holiday camps could be beneficial as well — not only do these activities hone useful soft skills such as efficient communication, but they also teach kids valuable lessons about working together towards a common goal. Navigating small obstacles with peers by their side can be an invaluable experience for young minds, and one that will help them grow into strong independent individuals.
3. Bring Them out of Their Comfort Zone
We all have personal comfort zones — physical, emotional, and cognitive boundaries that we build over time to protect ourselves from potential danger or discomfort. While it’s important to ensure your children feel safe in their environment, exposing them to new experiences or unexpected situations can help build confidence and resilience in them.
This could be anything from letting them plan a family outing or day trip, to encouraging them to try something completely out of the ordinary, like taking up a martial art or learning how to play a musical instrument. No matter what shape or form it takes, getting your child to go outside of their comfort zone will help open their eyes and hearts to new possibilities and perspectives, nurturing courage and tenacity as they seek new ways to push themselves further.
4. Always set a Good Example
It’s important to remember that children will always look up to their parents for guidance and inspiration. As such, parents should be sure to set a good example for their kids both in words and deeds — this doesn’t mean having the perfect life or being an overachiever all the time (no one is!), but rather leading by example with your integrity, values, and behaviour.
Encourage independence when appropriate and provide constructive criticism whenever necessary. Be honest about any mistakes you make as well — this can help instil strong moral ethics in your child, while demonstrating how perseverance is key to achieving success even in times of difficulty.
5. Enrol Them in Holiday Workshops
Sometimes, the best way to help your child develop a Champion Mindset is by providing them with real-world experiences in a safe and supervised environment. This is where holiday workshops come into play — these are usually short courses run over the December break specifically designed to give children an introduction to new topics or activities that can enrich their lives.
For example, your child may decide to join a workshop on detective and investigative work, which could help foster their analytical and problem solving abilities. On the other hand, they might opt for classes such as poetry writing — this could allow them to explore how creativity and expression can be used as powerful tools for communication. Regardless of which activity your child chooses, holiday workshops are an excellent way for them to learn about different fields and discover what interests them.
Nurture Your Child’s Champion Mindset with MindChamps
At MindChamps Enrichment, we leverage thoroughly research-backed programmes to help children in Singapore develop themselves both academically and personally. This holiday, sign your child up for our Champion Mindset for Teens workshop to equip them with powerful, life-changing strategies that can help them better overcome challenges that come their way.
Help your child achieve lifelong success. Get in touch with us today to find out more.