Teaching day-to-day basics
Education is the magical key to opening the doors to a world of possibilities. Start early with the day-to-day basics by adjusting complex tasks and concepts to build simple age and ability appropriate skills and tasks into everyday routines.
You can be a coach, a role model and a cheerleader for even the most reluctant of kids. Use your energy and style to demonstrate the concepts and behaviours you’re hoping for and support youngsters as they grow.
Practice proactively: The more you and your little ones practice in familiar environments that are both safe and supported the better the comfort level and the greater the improvement. Simply put, the sum of small parts can add up to significant results over time.
Offer positive reinforcement: Make learning a fun, engaging and interactive. You’ll get much further if you try to make life-skill learning an enjoyable experience. Smile. Laugh. Praise effort and progress, and offer encouragement when challenges are faced – even if they aren’t overcome right away.
Create consistent routines: Children thrive on predictability. Daily routines help reduce anxiety, increase confidence and build responsibility. Start with morning rituals like getting dressed, brushing teeth and eating breakfast. Bedtime routines that include winding down with a story or quiet time can also reinforce structure. Use visual schedules, timers or music to signal transitions. When expectations are clear and consistent, children feel safer and are more likely to engage cooperatively.
Encourage independence: Even if a task seems small, allowing a child to complete it on their own builds confidence. Give them age-appropriate responsibilities like setting the table, packing a backpack or choosing clothes for the day. These moments teach decision-making and instill a sense of accomplishment. Remember, progress over perfection. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
Use play as a teaching tool: Play is powerful. It enhances creativity, improves motor skills, and reinforces learning in a low-pressure environment. Use pretend play to act out real-world scenarios like going to the doctor, shopping for
groceries, or resolving a disagreement. Games that involve turn-taking, strategy, and following rules can teach social norms, patience and flexibility.
Decide what really matters:
While there’s a long list of ‘nice to haves’ make a conscious decision to prioritize and take pleasure in small steps. Things to focus on depending on the child might include communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, time management, personal hygiene and self-care that will help your little one along. Tackled all at once, this laundry list of tasks may well seem overwhelming for you and them. It’s important to be selective, patient and paced. Work together and select things first that help with relationship building while teaching honesty, emotional regulation and personal responsibility.
Specific skills to develop:
Communication: In whatever way they can… Learning to express themselves and listen actively, and understand both verbal and non-verbal cues is crucial. Some ways to improve communication include role-playing scenarios with your children and reading out loud.
Problem-Solving: Teaching children to identify problems, make choices and explore solutions for themselves that will serve them well. Helping children to identify the problem, brainstorm solutions, evaluate options and choose the best course of action to implement will serve them well for years to come. Allow them to start with small ‘problems’ and seek information on how to solve them.
Time Management: Helping children accept responsibilities, work towards understanding the importance of time and keeping track as well as learning to prioritize tasks, and reduce stress for themselves and others. If your children’s days are currently unstructured, consider creating a schedule for them. You can delve further by helping them estimate time it will take to complete tasks on their to-do list.
Self-Care: Appreciating the need for good hygiene and healthy eating habits even when/if they have to rely on others to assist.
Social Skills: Navigating social situations can be a challenge for kids living with disabilities. With your support and guidance, the goal is to help your child foster kindness, healthy interactions and confidence at school and in the community. Foster respect by teaching them to be polite, considerate and conscientious of others. Some activities to practice include taking turns and sharing with others, and engaging in healthy conflict resolution.
Resilience and stamina: Learning to cope with setbacks, manage uncomfortable situations, and bounce back from failures is an amazing skill that you can help them to acquire. You can help them by setting goals that are reasonably challenging and helping them move forward step-by-step regardless of any setbacks.
Things to consider
1) Teach empathy: Not everyone will understand your child’s situation but you can help them to understand and share in the feelings of others. Another important learning is that you can’t control other people’s actions and feelings, and if they are being hurtful it is more of a reflection of them than you.
2) Enjoy the magic of the moment: A big part of maintaining a strong mind is a sense of gratitude. Focusing on the positive in the moment, and add some elements of fun or surprise to help the learning catch on.
3) Celebrate progress, not perfection: Each child learns at their own pace. Celebrate the little wins like a new word, a completed chore, a kind gesture. When children feel seen and appreciated for their effort, their motivation grows. Keep feedback positive and specific. For example, instead of saying “Good job,” say, “I love how you kept trying even when that was hard.”
4) Model lifelong learning: Let kids see you learning something new, making a mistake and trying again. Whether it’s baking a new recipe, fixing something at home or learning a language, your actions speak volumes. Demonstrating curiosity and resilience helps normalize the learning process and empowers kids to adopt the same mindset.
It can feel overwhelming to pass along these valuable concepts to your children, and while modelling behaviour is important, so is giving yourself some grace. No one is 100% perfect, and an important part of your own resilience practice involves trying your best, even when you slip up. Don’t be too hard on yourself, we’re only human. Start small and then build your way into bigger life lessons. The goal isn’t a perfect role model, but a culture of positivity, hard work, and grace that will permeate the household environment and provide a stage where these learnings can flourish.
Photo: David Pisnoy, Unsplash (edited by Mac Loong). Getty Images/Unsplash.
