We, as parents, as educators and caretakers of children, are pretty careful when it comes to lessons of judgement.
There are many examples of “judgement” thrown at us, and not always in the best light. While this cannot be ignored, there is another piece of this puzzle at play.
Judgement is one of the words, when taken out of context can do a world of damage in how we interpret the world as an adult. So while we find it easy to embrace statements such as, “do not judge” and associate judgement with ultimate doom (at least it can feel like that), it’s important to remember that the right kind of judgement cannot be matched in true lessons of success.
A few ways we can support our children’s journey in this include:
- Letting them read books that have characters constantly confronted with decisions. After reading a chapter with them maybe asking, “would you have done that?” Or “what would you have done differently if you were them?” This pushes them to identify areas or similar situations where their practical analysis and critical thinking will be called into play.
- Invite them in the discussion. Kids are naturally curious, and they won’t need all the details of a particular topic to voice their ideas. And they have plenty. Giving our kiddos a place at the table allows us to learn more about their perspective and hopefully steer the direction of their thinking toward more of a sound response.
- Create a short story or play. Stories and plays are great in that there always has to be a central character, a main theme, a dilemma of some sort, and how then ultimately a deciding element. This helps the character come to a conclusion or a judgement about a circumstance or life in general. Thinking out the dynamics of any story will add to our child’s ability to understand judgement on a whole new level.
These small exercises will help by establishing the building blocks of applying judgement in a healthy way.
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