As a parent, you know the hard work you put into your children day in and day out will pay off one day. You want to be strategic in your efforts to keep them educated, informed, and upwardly-mobile citizens of this world. Sometimes you may wonder how best to launch your kids for success.
Continue reading to learn about some ideas to help your children expand their horizons and create new connections with the world around them that are beyond the world of social media.
Take a Coding Class
Computers and technology are clearly the way of the present and the future. Technological advances are moving at a rapid pace and are becoming more integrated into everyone’s daily lives. The next generations need to become versed in the language of computers.
Sign your kids up for the YoungWonks Coding Classes for Kids to get them started on the best road toward a successful future. Regardless of what career field or professional path they plan to take, computers and coding will be part of it all in one way or another.
From starting your own business and creating a website, instead of hiring someone else to create, maintain, and update the site, your child can learn to code and do it themselves. Other possibilities may include becoming a computer programmer, and creating apps or video games – the list is endless for what they can do with the knowledge of computer coding and languages.
The best part of these classes is that they can be taken from the comfort of your own home. This way, you do not need to worry about drive time, coordinating your work schedule with extracurricular activities, or any other inconveniences that may arise. Everything is accomplished online under the tutelage of programming experts in either a one-on-one class or group classes with a ratio of one teacher to four students depending on your preference.
Learn a New Language
You probably already know how advantageous it is for everyone to know more than one language. Even though you are aware of this information, you should encourage this effort among your children.
Motivate your kids to learn and become proficient in a new language by signing them up for language classes. The classes can be online, in person, or gamified via an app. Regardless of how your kids begin and continue to engage in a second or third language, the most critical part of the process is simply starting. And once they begin, determine a course of action to keep them on track by working on the curriculum each day to advance their skill set.
If you can do so, take a concurrent class with your kids. This way, you can help them with vocabulary memorization and fun quizzes, determining and correcting sentence structure, and practicing becoming conversational in your new shared language. As you all increase your understanding of the language, practice it more and more as a family unit.
Set a common goal together as a family. For example, if you are learning French, consider a family trip to France after everyone has gained specified proficiencies. This will motivate everyone towards a fun and beneficial experience that will serve to further your collective language skills.
Watch this informative video to learn about the benefits of being bilingual.
Volunteer Time and Skills
No matter your child’s age, they will benefit from any positive acts of volunteerism. From picking up a toy that fell from a stroller in the park to helping someone shovel their driveway in the cold winter months, volunteering will impact your young person in several ways.
Volunteering is proven to lend a new perspective to those who help others. Your kids will gain a new appreciation for different types of work, they may learn a new skill or two, but more importantly, they will learn about empathy.
When someone is down on their luck and in need of basic assistance, it will give your kids a first-hand opportunity to understand that sometimes, despite someone’s best efforts, they still fall on hard times and can benefit from a small hand-up.
Search for volunteer opportunities for your whole family. It will be a bonding experience that takes you beyond your usual comfort zone. In addition to the good that can be accomplished, volunteering has an added benefit of looking good on your child’s resume as well as college and scholarship applications.
Start a Journal
You may wonder how writing in a journal can be advantageous for your kids. Writing down their thoughts can assist them in working through their feelings and documenting their lives.
If your kids experience the loss of a loved one, difficult times at school or interpersonal difficulties in their peer groups, the act of putting those thoughts and feelings down on paper can prove cathartic. Writing out what happened and how they reacted or felt about it is a way to work through problems or simply put them somewhere else by jotting them in the journal. Sometimes expressing thoughts is enough to move through them healthily.
Journaling is also a fun way for kids and teens to chronicle their lives. They can use it as a diary and log of daily activities in addition to an outlet. Talk with your kids about how their journal is their private space for personal feelings and expressions. It is only meant to be shared with people of their choosing. When they feel comfortable in the knowledge that their personal space and feelings will be respected, they will be freer to fully utilize their journal.
Now that you have some realistic and beneficial ideas for keeping your kids busy, it is time to sign them up. Help them now and in the future by giving them the gift of education through coding and new languages. Show them a world beyond theirs through volunteerism and kind efforts on behalf of others. Join in their efforts, and encourage their love of education. You will reap the benefits of family bonding time while gaining knowledge.