Whether your child can’t find his shoes or he’s forgotten his password, good problem solving skills are the key to helping him manage his life and can improve mental health. Children deal with a variety of problems everyday, ranging from academic difficulties to problems on the sports field. Yet, few of them have a formula for solving those problems. Kids who lack problem-solving skills may avoid taking action when faced with a problem. That’s why many kids fall behind in school or struggle to maintain friendships. Other kids may spring into action without considering the results of their actions. They may end up making the problem much worse. Parents can help their children develop and refine their problem solving skills by asking open ended questions, discussing alternative solutions, and allowing children to experience failure.
The Broken Escalator video below is a humorous look at poor problem solving. Watch it with your child and talk about how we all face problems that feel overwhelming but we can learn strategies that help us to solve those big problems.
