High Five
I recently attended a High Five workshop. If you haven't heard of High Five, as I hadn't, it is a Nation wide quality standard initiative for children's sport and recreation programs. It was developed by the Ontario Parks and Recreation and is based on years of research, which identified the principles of healthy child development. Their website (
www.highfive.org) has information about the workshop and provides some resources for parents.
Even though the training is directed to organizations providing recreation and sport programs to children aged 6 to 12, the great thing about this training is that it is open to the general public. It also has fantastic information for parents, childcare providers, coaches and organizations a like. It was presented in a fun, participatory way and I left feeling like I had acquired new tools I could use in pretty much any interaction with kids.
I firmly believe that any adult in contact with children has the opportunity to take on a leadership role (that is; be a role model, teach new skills, listen, and help them grow) and make a positive impact on the development of those children. With a little knowledge and the right skills that impact can be significant and create positive memories for both child and adult.
Below I've listed the principles of healthy child development put forth by High Five and provided some ways to put them into action:
A Caring Adult - THAT'S YOU! The consistent support of a caring adult helps build self-esteem and autonomy. Self-esteem is the belief that we belong and are accepted, strong, capable and loved. It help’s children succeed, get through problems and believe they are capable of overcoming challenges. You can help build your child’s self-esteem by showing them that you believe in them. One of the best ways to do this is by encouraging them. Encouragement teaches children that they are appreciated, capable and worthwhile. They’ll feel more self-confident and be more interested in cooperating. Encouragement is a form of positive feedback that allows you to show your child that you love them, notice when they try or improve, appreciate them and have faith in them.
Participation - by involving your children in making choices about what the activity is going to be, setting the rules, and solving problems you are encouraging feelings of independence, and helping them feel competent. This goes a long way in building a child's self-esteem and confidence. You could simply ask your child what game they want to play and ask them to explain the rules to you.
Play - Play is an important aspect of a positive parent-child relationship. That means you getting in there and playing! Play allows children to use their imagination, shape their environment and figure out their place in the world. Play enhances and encourages learning and positive behaviour. (Have you seen the video clips from
The Fun Theory?). The best way to play with your child is to set aside some time when you can let go of everything else on you plate. Try to schedule some playtime when you don't have to worry about cooking dinner at the same time or caring for a much younger sibling. I know that it can be challenging to focus on one thing for us multitaskers but it is important to put your full effort into play. It doesn't come naturally to adults. Let your child lead and keep a your sense of humour handy. Focus on the relationship you are building not the task at hand.
Mastery - providing opportunities to your children to master new skills physically, socially, and intellectually is another way to build their self-esteem and confidence. The best way to do this is to ensure that you provide challenges that are developmentally appropriate and that you are providing positive reinforcement. You could find something that your child can be successful at, teach them a new skill, help them practice and create opportunities for them to demonstrate their new ability. Praise, encourage and provide feedback along the way.
Friends - Friends are important. They create opportunities to learn about sharing, loyalty, support, and criticism and provide a safe place to talk about feelings. You can help your child make friends by being a role model! Never allow or model name-calling, bullying or holding a grudge. Try to encourage your child to use a person's name when talking to someone new. If your child is shy, try role-playing before heading to a new environment. This will give your child a sense of security and may make approaching new friends a bit easier for them.
If we are able to build these five principals into the activities we plan for our children, High Five says we can expect the fruits of our labour to be children that are creative, confident, competent, committed and cooperate. The main thing that was emphasized, and that I took away from the training, is that healthy relationships are at the heart of high-quality experience for children. To me, this means that it really all comes back to focusing on the relationship instead of the task, game, activity we are involved in with our children.
~Sarah
Labels: A caring adult, Children, Friends, High Five, Mastery, Parent Ed, Participation, Play, Relationship, Sarah, Self-Esteem
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