When you’re a child, you’re able to dream big. You can imagine that you could be anything you could possibly dream of – a firefighter, a ballerina, an artist, an actor… everything seems possible and that’s something truly wonderful. It’s so important to encourage your children to dream those big dreams and to pursue their passions, whatever they may be. The interests children have represent clues as to where they may be heading in their lives, and those little ones who embrace those dreams will be more self-aware and have greater self-understanding. They’ll also be more likely to have an adulthood that is filled with adventure and passion – something that every parent wants for their children.
So, how can you help your kids to dream big and live out those desires? Here are five ways of inspiring the next generation.
- Introduce The Bucket List Concept
You should teach your children the idea of the bucket list then encourage them to design their own. The earlier you introduce to your little ones the idea of intentionality and the concept that they can have a hand in their own destiny, the sooner they will experience that power for themselves.
- Give Your Children Experiences To Remember
Your child may not always want to be a zookeeper, but as long as they do, why not give them the experience of feeding giraffes at a local zoo, or spending a day caring for some animals at a local farm. Your child may not be the best dancer, but if you arrange for them to attend ballet classes, they will remember the experience for the rest of their lives. If your child wants to be a chef, encourage their passions – allow them to spend time in the kitchen, introduce recipes that they can prepare with or without your help. You could even buy them a chef’s hat, apron or jacket from a site like ChefWorks.com to help them to feel more like their heroes. Children thrive on experiences and it’s up to you to foster those positive moments.
- Allow Free-Time
Don’t pack activities into every minute of your child’s day. The freedom of free-time gives them the necessary space for self-discovery. Today’s lives have a frantic pace, we need to opt-out of that and give your little ones the opportunity to dream, to play and discover their own interests.
- Allow Experimentation
Children often change their passions and interests at a moment’s notice. That’s ok. When children are given time, they might opt to follow interests that have no defined outcome, but those exploratory efforts remain worthwhile. Even if the things your children enjoy don’t seem to be very beneficial to you, allow them to tinker and experiment – who knows where those interests might lead them.
- Encourage Their Biggest Dreams
Encourage your children to reach for the stars and to look for positive role models all around them. They may be people from history, people that they’ve seen on TV or people they know amongst their family and closest circle. Inspirational dreams teach children that they can achieve anything, regardless of obstacles.
Your children will eventually decide for themselves which path their lives will take, but with your encouragement, that path may lead them in an unexpected and thrilling direction.
