Encouragement is Important for Parents and Babies
Parents and babies need a lot of encouragement right now in the current pandemic. We are exhausted. We are isolating, remote schooling, and wondering when it will all end. Encouragement is important now more than ever for parents and babies.
We all need regular doses of encouragement. However, being encouraging often seems to requires so much effort. It is easy to become frustrated and negative, especially right now.
First, we must recognize that we really are NOT okay in our present circumstances. We have to admit that so we can be honest with our children, even the babies.
So, being honest about it is a stepping stone to be more encouraging to your child. Let’s find out what real encouragement is.
“Encouragement is Essential”
Suzuki Early Childhood Education Concept
How to Encourage Your Baby (or anyone else)
We should encourage our children to inspire and motivate them. We can also gently support them in learning new things.
Let your child know that you believe in their ability to grow and learn. Focus on the efforts of your little one.
Notice how they make progress and improve in a particular task. Ask them questions about all of the steps that were involved in their project or activity.
Then tell them you see how hard they have worked. Let them know that you are proud of them for sticking to the task until they learned it.
These encouragement suggestions are useful for parents and their child. They also are useful in our daily interactions with our partner, friends, or co-workers.
“Live by looking for things to do for other people.”
Shinichi Suzuki
We all can look for ways to encourage our children and others.
Encouragement Develops Abilities and Relationships
Your child will grow to have confidence. They will also believe they have the ability to do many things if they work hard.
This kind of encouragement helps your child so much. They learn that all their time and effort to learn a task are worth it.
Encouragement will also help your child to become more independent as they grow. They also will be less likely to compare themselves to others.
They even are less likely to feel the need to compete with others. Therefore, your encouragement will help them develop confidence in their abilities.
Your encouragement will develop a deeper relationship with your child. The bond between the two of you will grow stronger.
“When love is deep, much can be accomplished.”
Shinichi Suzuki
Parents and Babies Need Encouragement In Times of Struggle
Encouragement creates positive experiences for your child. However, it is also important to learn to deal with problems as well.
Encourage your child to stick to the task. Then, they will learn to focus on the effort to overcome problems.
Granted, a pandemic is an extreme problem. Thus, we now have to work more to encourage and support our children (and each other).
We must always show our love and compassion for each other. But, those things are even more important right now for us to have hope.
“To make a resolution and act accordingly is to live with hope. There may be difficulties and hardships, but not disappointment or despair if you follow the path steadily.”
Shinichi Suzuki, Nurtured By Love
Dr. Suzuki certainly knew difficulties and hardships. He barely survived the devastation of World War II in Japan.
Yet, he chose to take his educational ideas and love for children out into the world. He encouraged parents and their babies to grow beautiful hearts and develop high abilities through music.
So we also can get into the habit of encouraging each other now when life is not really normal. Then, we can handle future problems a little more easily.
Encouragement Is Essential
Encouragement is Essential is one of the Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) Concepts. In the SECE Baby Class, teachers encourage parents to model activities and behaviors for their babies and toddlers.
Then, parents model those positive things for their children at home. Next the older toddlers in the class model the activities for the babies. They are an encouragement to the little ones.
In some ways, encouragement is at the heart of the Dr. Suzuki’s Mother-Tongue Method of Education. There is a joke in the Suzuki teacher community: What is the difference between a traditional teacher and a Suzuki teacher?
The answer: The traditional teacher listens to the the student play and says, “Fix this, this, and this.” The Suzuki teacher listens to the student play and says, “It is good that you played for me. Now fix this, this, and this.”
It always gets a chuckle, but you get the idea. But, the truth is that Dr. Suzuki taught us to teach in an encouraging, inspiring way.
Find the good and encourage, then solve the problems.
Encouragement is So Important For Babies
Let’s think about how we encourage babies to learn to speak. Parents repeat a word to their babies over and over. AND they don’t get tired of doing it!
You instinctively know that you are helping your baby to build their language skills. Oh, the joy you feel over your baby’s first word!!
Now, do you scold them if they don’t speak the word correctly? Of course not!
You are beyond excited to hear them say the word. Then, you keep repeating that word and encouraging them to repeat it.
Meanwhile, you begin repeating a new word to your baby and encouraging them to repeat it. However, remember that encouragement needs to be specific to a situation. Avoid simply saying “good job” or ‘You’re so smart”.
Effective encouragement can be as simple as saying to your baby, “You said ‘mama’ and that is so exciting!”. Or your child may say the word “apple”. Say something like this to them: “Yes, that is an apple. Do you like apples?”
In this way, you are engaging your child. This helps them to really learn to communicate. You are encouraging them to think and form their own ideas and opinions.
SECE Baby Class Embraces Encouragement
SECE Baby Class embraces encouragement for parents and babies. It encourages the thorough mastery of social-emotional, motor, and listening skills.
Teachers work to create compassion, sensitivity, and self-discipline in the Baby Class. They also work to create a non-stressful approach to learning.
Teachers help parents to understand and follow their child’s natural timetable for learning. Often, a parent is anxious for their child do a particular activity.
They may to try to force their child to do it. But, that only frustrates both the parent and child. Needless to say, there is no encouragement going on!
From Meltdown to Encouragement
Currently, I am in charge of my six-year niece’s remote schooling. Now, I have my own two homeschooled children “T-shirts”. So, there isn’t much I haven’t seen in the world of learning at home.
Two weeks ago, my niece had a major meltdown and was inconsolable. Her mother and I were finally able to calm her. Then, we were able to get on with the school work.
Then, this past week, there was the threat of another meltdown. But I was prepared this time.
She was having problems with an assignment. I had explained what to do several times.
But she just wasn’t getting it. I could see the frustration mounting in her and myself (again).
Music, Encouragement, and Love
So, we switched gears and moved to a different assignment. I chose one she was more likely to enjoy doing.
At first, she didn’t want to do even that one. Then, I had a stroke of genius! My iPad was nearby. One of the downloads is my favorite Mozart piano concerto.
So, I hit PLAY and held my breath. I am not kidding. Within twenty seconds, she had her pencil in her hand and was bent over her paper working.
I leaned back and blew a huge sigh of relief. I felt badly for not thinking about introducing the music into the situation sooner.
Hey, I’m the Suzuki teacher! I should know all this stuff! But, in the heat of the moment, we were just wanting to get something done.
Besides the music, I also needed to remember that her assignment was a new skill. She needed far more repetitions than I was giving her.
Most of all, she needed my encouragement each step of the way. She needed to know I loved her whether she could do the assignment or not.
Encouragement Now!
I am going to work more on encouraging my niece in her work this coming week. My encouragement for you this week is:
Remember to work just a little harder to be encouraging to everyone. It will be worth it.
Start with your baby. Then expand out to your partner, friends, or co-workers.
They all need your encouragement and love. It will give them the hope they need to learn new skills and deal with the problems in life.
P. S. Don’t forget the music!
On the “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey”with you,
Susan
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Think about how you can use encouragement, love, and music to help your baby (or anyone else) develop new skills and abilities. Feel free to share your experiences or comment on the blog post.
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