Why it is important to encourage initiative in children and how we can do it from education and game

Initiative is the ability that human beings have to make decisions and act to achieve an objective. It is important to encourage our children's initiative from an early age, not only so that they can do things on their own without having to repeat it to them at every moment, but also because educating them in this skill is essential for their future.

However, there are many children who find it difficult to take initiative or express their opinion, so they end up waiting for others to guide them or make decisions for them. We share some tips to promote the initiative of children from education and play.

Why it's important for children to take initiative

Having initiative is taking control of your life by making decisions that lead you to achieve a goal. The initiative is essential, not only in our day to day, but also in the world of work.

In Babies and More we have shared with you on numerous occasions tips to promote autonomy in children with activities related to each age. Children need to develop this basic skill for different reasons:

But if we don't allow children to make their own decisions and make mistakes, or if we continually do things for them (because we want to control everything, because we don't want them to get frustrated, out of fear, because we don't trust their abilities... ), they will grow up believing that they do not have enough ability to be responsible for their own lives - that is, they will need others to guide them - and that their opinions or decisions are not important.

Obviously, children need clear limits, as well as adults who teach and guide them responsibly and respectfully with their needs. But guiding them does not mean telling them what to do or say at all times, but providing them with the necessary tools to develop their critical thinking and make certain decisions for themselves when necessary.

How to encourage initiative in our children

Encourage their autonomy

First of all, by allowing them to "do", even at the risk of making mistakes or that the consequences will be "disastrous" in the eyes of the adult. And it is that on many occasions parents give excessive importance to things that really do not have it, depriving children of the opportunity to act, experiment, err and learn from the consequences.

Encourage him to make decisions and respect his opinions

It is also essential to encourage the child so that from an early age he makes his own decisions in certain areas of his life. For example, letting them choose their own clothes, asking their opinion on certain family matters or letting them participate when we set certain limits, will allow them to grow up knowing that their opinion is important and that they can always express it with the certainty that it will be heard and respected.

Train your ability to decide through the game

And finally, if we detect that our son has little initiative, and even hides behind the people around him when it comes to giving his opinion (that is, he waits for others to give their opinion on something to give him the same opinion) In addition to the aforementioned advice, we can carry out a series of activities and games that enhance their ability to decide.

We leave you some examples recommended by the psychologist Sonia Martínez, founder of the Crece Bien Centers:

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