Sometimes the right way to approach parenting is, debatably, the wrong way.
There are a lot of different ways to teach children life lessons, and valuable ideas and concepts. But, in order to do so, would you be willing to break conventional parenting methods? Today we’ll be taking a look at some of the most controversial and counter-intuitive parenting strategies that, while seemingly absurd, could go a long way in teaching your kids the things they need to know most.
You may not completely agree with one or all of the entries on this list, but there’s no denying that the lessons and values they are capable of teaching your children are foundational to your child’s development. They may sound crazy–radical even– but they’re worth considering!
1. Handling tools, or knives
We would never condone letting your child use tools or sharp objects as playthings, but there is value in teaching how and why these things are to be handled with care.
Letting your children be the ones to handle a tool or sharp knife shows them how/when/why such objects are used.
It will also be a foundational lesson in teaching them about safety and to avoid these objects unless they are being used for their intended purpose. Not to mention that teaching your children to use certain tools, like a screwdriver, can be a good way to teach self-reliance in the long run.
2. Exposure to sad stories
Sometimes parents shield their kids from sad things. For example, sad stories. While it's nice to focus on the positives of a story or movie, directors and storytellers put the depressing themes in a story to complete it.
The reason being that life isn't always happy and joyful; there will be times and experiences that will hurt you and make you sad. The good news is that those experiences will form you and make you a better person. Exposing kids to sad stories and movies will help them to appreciate the good times more.
3. Talking to strangers
Obviously, this doesn't mean letting your kids go out unsupervised and hang out with complete and total strangers. There are obviously bad people out there, and you should be cautious as a parent. However, there are also good people out there that don't mean any harm to your children.
You can teach them about the duality of man, and about the good in society by encouraging them to talk to strangers whenever you are out and about.
Under your supervision, you can encourage them to communicate with the world around them. Support them in saying "good morning" or "hello" to strangers. It will teach them that while some people are bad, others are good and they shouldn't let irrational anxieties dictate or deplete their social skills.
4. Skipping kindergarten
Many parents view kindergarten as more of an option than a necessity. This is far from definitive and the kindergarten your child attends may be incredibly beneficial and suits them well. If it doesn't, it's important to know that there are alternatives and skipping kindergarten and going straight to first grade is one of those options.
There are other, non-academic ways that parents can prep their youngsters for the first grade. Just incorporate physical, interactive, and imaginative activities into your daily routine in order to develop cognitive and executive functions that they'll be utilising in their future academic endeavours.
5. Climbing up the slide
We're not referring to some metaphorical slide...but we're also not dismissing that thought. Literally speaking, if you see your kids climbing up the slide at the park, your first reaction is to pull them off of it or shout at them for misbehaving.
The judgemental eyes of your fellow parents may also be making you feel as though you need to right this wrong, but consider the benefits. When a child climbs up the slide they'll be learning about conflict resolution and how to solve the problem they've been handed. Metaphorically speaking, they're learning that they can overcome obstacles like uphill battles and adversity.
This post was based on an article by author and national speaker Heather Shumaker. Original article on Parenting.