Broad-Minded Parents Help Kids Think Outside the Box.

It’s easier to unlock kid’s brains when parents are open to new ideas.

Today, we’ll look at 3 traps for close-minded parents and 3 advantages for being an open parent. We’ll also share 2 examples from your children’s lives that you can use immediately. They'll help your kids open their minds. At the end you'll find a new SlideShare with 7 open-minded discussion questions. I hope you'll use them with your children.

Narrow-Minded Parents Fall into 3 Traps When They:

1. Stop listening they end up turning their kids off.
2. Judge their children harshly when they don't agree.
3. Demand their kids think the same way they do.

When kids aren’t heard, feel judged, and experience mind control, they can:

1. Feel resentment toward parents.
2. Plug their ears.
3. Keep their real thoughts to themselves.

3 Advantages of Open-Minded Parents

1. They listen well which gives their children the attention and respect they want.
2. They receive respect from kids who may open their ears in return.
3. They find out what their kids really think and can better guide them.

How to Solve 2 Childhood Problems with Open Minds

 

Many Kids Engage in Bedtime Battles.

When parents are open to hearing their youngsters ideas, kids can look at bedtime decisions with fresh eyes.

Ask: “Should kids have the same bedtime on weekends as school nights?”

1. Let them share all their opinions, even if you don’t like them. Just listen.
2. Ask them to list all the reasons for the opposite side. Just listen.
3. Tell them to blend the best of both sides so both of you can accept them.
4. Now it’s your turn to share your opinions and the opposite side. Then blend the best of both.
5. Search for a compromise with your child. Take all the time you need.

Suggest you both try the new solution for a couple of weeks.

Signs that you both still need to compromise may be:

1. Your student doesn’t get up on time.
2. Your child yawns from tiredness at school and home.
3. Your child is cranky during the day because he’s tired.

Remember, when children get to participate in the rules, they are more likely to follow them.

 

Does Your Child Like Responsibilities?

Responsibilities restrict freedom. Yet to have a freedom, there is a matching responsibility. Here are some to consider:

1. Freedom to watch TV or play video games could mean completing homework first.
2. Freedom to eat a snack could mean cleaning the mess afterward.
3. Freedom to own a dog means feeding her and taking her for walks.

Discuss with your youngster more freedoms with related responsibilities.

Ask: “Is it important for kids to have responsibilities?”

1. Listen well as your child shares both pro and con ideas.
2. Ask questions that help your child think more deeply.
3. Give your ideas when your student is finished.
4. Ask, “Is there is a household responsibility you’d like to discuss?” If so, use the 2-sided method we used with the bedtime discussion.
5. Insist on respect throughtout.

Summary – How Parents Open Closed Minds

The advantages of being an open-minded parent are mutual listening, great discussions and acceptable solutions. Helping your kids see more than their point of view teaches them to become problem solvers and wise compromisers who think outside the box. Their brains won’t be chained to stubborn thinking either.

 

Open-Minded Discussions Promote Broad-Minded

Children

Enjoy this SlideShare with additional questions for teaching open-mindedness with delightful discussions. The transcript is included. Feel free to copy it.

How Smart Parents Raise Open-Minded Kids

https://www.slideshare.net/JeanTracyMSS/how-smart-parents-raise-open-minded-kids

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Jean Tracy, MSS

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OPEN-MINDED KIDS ARE SKILLED THINKERS. They learn to see more than one side of issues, problems, and discussions. They think bigger than one-sided kids.

How Sophie Opened Her Mind

I spoke with a 4^th grade girl, named Sophie, (Identity concealed) who told me how she changed her mind. Her teacher asked, “Should school be year-round?” Sophie said a loud, “No!”

But the teacher told the class to study both sides. Sophie did her research. This is what she found that could happen if school was year-round:

1. The school day would be shorter.
2. There would be more but shorter vacations.
3. There would be fun after-school programs.
4. Daycare wouldn’t cost parents so much because of the after-school programs. The 3-month summer vacation would be eliminated so no need for daycare then either.
5. Teachers wouldn’t need to waste time reviewing what the children forgot due to the summer vacations.

Sophie opened her mind to these new ideas. She decided “Yes,” school should be year-round.

Sophie had an open-minded teacher who asked open-minded questions. She taught kids to see issues from both sides. Each child was free to come up with their own conclusions.

The Difference between Open Minds and Closed Minds

 

Close-Minded Thinkers Won't Listen to New Ideas

Open-minded children don’t try to win arguments. They avoid stubbornly sticking to their own viewpoint. They are willing to change their opinions with new information.

Closed-minded kids won’t listen to others’ ideas. They believe they already know what’s best.

How Parents Raise Kids with Open-Minded Discussions

 

Sample Question: Should  Parents Make Kids Try

New Foods?

Be the parent who uses discussions to open your kids’ minds. Discuss topics that interest them. Get them to consider both the side they favor and the one they disagree with. When they have enough information, ask them what they favor  now and why. If you do, they'll become BIGGER thinkers.

For more parenting strategies and stories to raise your children's consciousness, read full article at: 

 9 Ways Parents Raise Open-Minded Kids

 

Be Sure to Praise Your Open-Minded Child

Popular Posts with Similar Topics:

Parenting: 2 Strategies for Raising Kids with Optimistic Characters

Parenting: Turning Fearful Kids into Confident Children

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Raising Broad-Minded Kids Is Fun

Closed-minded children, like adults, only want things their way. They won’t consider opposing evidence. They won’t admit when they're wrong. How do parents open kids' minds to other points of view?

 

Parents CAN Open Kids Minds

Today’s brand new video shows you how to raise open-minded thinkers. You’ll find out exactly what parents can do.

For example, discuss topics kids can relate to, like:

1. Homework
2. Bedtime
3. Lying
4. Bullying
5. Texting

Make questions out of the topics and ask children to give two sides. The side they agree with and the side they oppose. They must give good reasons for each side. Finally, they must decide which side is best. They are free to compromise by blending the best ideas from each side.

 

Open-Minded Kids Consider Different Viewpoints

One huge goal is to help children understand why people think differently. Could appreciating opposing views be one way to learn cooperation, collaboration, and preserve freedom of expression? You be the judge.

Watch here:

How Parents Raise Open-minded Kids

Popular Posts with Similar Topics:

How Discussions, Quotes, and Compliments Build Character in Kids

5 Rules for Teaching Your Kids Respect

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Helping Bored Kids Become Interested Children

BUILDING KIDS’ INTERESTS STARTS WITH ASKING THE QUESTIONS THEY LOVE TO ANSWER. Good questions create a bond between you and your child. With these questions you’ll find out:

• How they feel about boredom
• What blocks their curiosity
• What they’d really like to learn
• What fills them with wonder
• How you can help them satisfy their curiosity

 

Curious Kids Have More Fun

After you hear the answers to the 10 discussions, You’ll know what fascinates your children. This helps them overcome boredom. You can then support and nurture their quest for knowledge by:

• Suggesting they ‘Google’ the information they seek
• Taking them to the library
• Asking about and listening to their research
• Praising their efforts to learn more
• Suggesting they share their knowledge with grandparents and friends.

 

"I Love Discussing My Interests."

Pick up today’s gift with the 10 discussions that your children love exploring.

Add them to a 3-hole binder to ask whenever needed.

Enter code:

INTERESTS

At

https://www.KidsDiscuss.com

and download now!

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Don't Shut Down Your Child's Curiosity!

Curiosity is the key to learning because it makes studying fun and easy. Disinterested kids with negative mindsets think:

1. This is boring.
2. I’ll never use this stuff.
3. Why do I have to learn this?

Dark clouds of pessimism rule their thoughts. Studying is hard for them. Sometimes parents agree with them and increase their negativity, “Yeah, this does look like a waste of time.”

But other parents turn off their kids' curiosity without realizing it.

 

You CAN Avoid These Mistakes

Today’s parenting checklist shares 7 errors not to make. Become an informed parent and help your child become an enthusiastic lifelong learner. Get this bonus now at:

https://www.KidsDiscuss.com

and enter the code words:

SHUT DOWN

Copy it to a binder and save it as a reminder.

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Parents Can Promote Curiosity in Kids

How do we keep the wonderful curiosity that crawling babies possess alive?

They creep toward toys, put objects in their mouths, pull on mom’s earrings. Everything is interesting to them. But they can lose it.

 

Babies Explore with Delight

I remember a frustrated second grade teacher asking me to observe 3 of her students. None of them would try. "I don’t know," was their only answer to the easiest of questions. I knew something had happened between infancy and childhood because their curiosity spark had died. Parents, don’t let this happen to your children. There are solutions.

 

Find Out How to Get Kids Excited about Learning Again

In this article you’ll find how to keep your child’s enthusiasm alive with:

1. 10 questions that encourage a passion for seeking answers.
2. 10 ways to promote learning and 7 ways to block interest.
3. 9 self-talk mottoes to increase your child’s wonder.
4. 1 poem, ‘The Uncurious Kid’ who changed his life using Google

Read More at KidsDiscuss.com

1. 

    

   Curious Kids Want to Learn

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DR. SEUSS MOTIVATED KIDS. Parents, by asking children the right questions, you can motivate them too. Knowing the best questions is the subject of this gift.

Imagine your child giving up. You've tried everything to encourage your child. You've even:

1. Bribed him with expensive rewards.
2. Lectured her about not getting into college.
3. Threatened him with punishment.
4. Ignored her discouragement.
5. Yelled at him.

• Bribing might work for a few weeks. But, if bringing their grades up takes a few months, many children will give up. Besides do you really want to be a briber?  If you do, you might have to bribe your kids for everything.  That means only big external rewards will get them to perform. The important internal rewards like satisfaction, curiosity, and excitement could be lost.
• Lecturing about college and getting a good job, like bribing, doesn't motivate because it's too far into the future.
• Punishment may make them rebel.
• Ignoring their discouragement may give them the idea, 'Mom doesn't care so it doesn't matter.'
• Yelling, like punishment, will probably backfire.

But there are better ways to motivate your child.

 

Ask Motivating Questions

Pick up today's handout with its 7 questions. Keep it handy. When your child needs encouragement, choose the best question for that moment.  Be an investigator, listen well, use empathy if appropriate, and be consistent.

To get your gift, go to www.KidsDiscuss.com and enter the word code:

ASK

and download your 7 motivating questions.

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Parents CAN Stop Bullying at Home.

PARENTING  A CHILD BULLY  IS FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. If you find you're constantly stepping in the middle and it isn't working, keep reading. Today I'll share 3 tips you can easily use and a 1 minute video with 11 positive suggestions.

You'll know that bullying is occurring,  if one child wants power over the other and wants to hurt the other with hitting, or yelling, or put-downs.

Of course, don't let jealousy be a cause for one child bullying the other. Do your best to show love, attention, and approval equally. Also separate your kids when the fighting starts. Here are 2 ways you can do that:

1. First Tip: Send each child to their rooms to hit their pillows at least 10 times. The idea is to help them let off the steam of anger, anxiety, and revenge. When they are done, get them to talk about the fighting and how to solve it. Let the solutions come from them.

2. Second Tip: Tell them to go to separate boring places in your home where they can't be in contact with each other.

Avoid their bedrooms because they could end up playing with toys instead of thinking about solutions.

Put the timer on for 5 minutes for them to come up a better way to handle the conflict.

Don't let them come up with easy immediate answers just so they won't have to be by themselves and think.

When the 5 minutes is up, listen to both sides. No interrupting by you or them.

In the end, have them act out their solutions.

Third Tip: Use this suggestion when the kids are getting along. A family meeting is ideal.

Discuss the problem with fighting.

Make sure they share their ideas without anyone interrupting.

This is a good time to practice listening skills. They must look at each other and repeat the other's ideas correctly before they get their turn to speak. The goal is to make sure each child feels heard.

Now please watch the 1 minute YouTube video with 11 more suggestions:

Click on: Sibling Bullying - How Parents Can Stop It

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Jean Tracy, MSS

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Children Love to Give Their Opinions

MANY PARENTS ARE NOT BORN COMMUNICATORS. They love their children but don't know how to talk to their kids. Over-talking turns kids off. Interrupting, sarcasm, and being too busy create a distance between parents and children.

Simple meaty questions and listening well open the door to good conversations. You don't have to do much. If your kids sense you're truly interested in what they think, even if they know you disagree, they'll talk. This means arguing to get them to change their minds is out. But you can ask more questions to get them to think deeper about a subject. And when they're done, you can share some thoughts of your own.

Today's parenting gift includes conversation starters for family dinners, car rides, and bedside chats. Some examples of starters could include:

1. What makes a good person? Why?
2. Would you like to be famous? Why?
3. Should kids have chores? Why?

Listening well takes patience because you might not like what you hear. But if you cut in and correct, you risk not finding out how your child really thinks. Why? Because your child may shut down and not talk. Then how can you guide your child to better thoughts?

Feel free to cut today's parenting bonus into ten questions. Put them in an envelope and pull out when you'd like to have an interesting conversation with your child.

Click - 10 Conversation Starters for a Loving Family

https://www.kidsdiscuss.com/subscriber-gifts.asp

Insert Code Word: Conversation  and download gift.

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Parenting Gifts You Can Easily Give

When you want to communicate better with your child, avoid buying things. Yes, kids do want toys, video games, and new cell phones. But if you experience your kids always wanting more, is gifting material things really a good idea?

This parenting present offers more than 3 gifts. It shares 10. Choose the 3 you need the most. Practice them and feel your parent/child connection grow.

 

 

Repeat What Your Child Said.

Repeating what your child said is proof that you listened. It proves that you paid attention and respect him. Listening opens the doors of communication and creates closeness.

Get your parenting tip sheet by inserting the code word:

Listen

Add it to a 3-hole binder to use whenever your relationship with your child is drifting. Then choose the listening skills you want to practice. Refresh your relationship and enjoy your loving connection.

I just added a second Channel to my YouTube Videos entitled:

1 Minute Parenting Tips

Please subscribe to this new channel by clicking on my face at the end of this short video. I'll be adding more videos soon.

How Parents Give Children 3 Loving Gifts

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