Teaching Our Children the Value of Hope
Hope is one of the most important values that children can develop. Children who understand the value of hope will be less likely to lose faith or give up. When the going gets tough, they won’t allow themselves to be overcome by discouragement.
How to teach children to have hope
If you wish to instill the gift of hope in your children, keep the following suggestions in mind:
1. Help your children keep their eyes on the future
To promote hope in children, it’s good to ask them what they hope to achieve. Also, ask them how they plan on going about achieving this goal.
We recommend talking to your children about how they see themselves in the future. This will help them discover what it is they want, and why.
You should help your children imagine how far they can go so that they can see the true potential they posses.
2. Work on your children’s plans
When your child says: “I want to be a marine biologist,” you should be encouraging. Ask your child: “What do you think you need to do to make that happen?”
It’s good to talk about the different options and possibilities that are available. Thinking about and planning for the future are fundamental parts of teaching children the value of hope.
3. Ask questions
When your children are stuck, resist the temptation to jump in and solve their problems for them. Rather, ask them what steps they need to take. Also ask them to recall the last time they were able to overcome a similar problem.
These sorts of questions promote the feeling of effectiveness and encourage your children to take action. Your kids will come to trust their own instincts, intelligence and initiative.
As a result, they’ll no longer depend on their parents for a solution every time they have a problem.
Remember to remind your children of their past successes. Use these events to build hope and guarantee they’ll be successful in the present and future as well.
4. Maximize their stimulation
Encourage your children to ask questions and be curious to learn and discover new things. Teaching your children to experiment and go beyond, encourages them to explore their limits. These are truly useful habits.
As parents, you should pass onto your children what you want them to learn by way of example. They will learn from every gesture, every word and every behavior.
“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly”
—Langston Hughes—
5. Favor their autonomy
Autonomy is always important in children’s lives. Excessive protection can cause children to become dependent and unwilling to do things on their own.
When we protect our children from failure, we rob them of the ability to tolerate frustration. As a result, when they become frustrated, they have a hard time overcoming this feeling, finding solutions, and moving on.
Children need the freedom to explore, decide and even face frustration. If we encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, their development will be much more appropriate.
6. Practice active learning
The best way to instill any value in our children is through active learning. Our children need to feel that we understand and respect them .
This way, your children will feel free to speak with you and clearly communicate their thoughts and feelings. It will also help them understand, internalize and express their own critical judgements.
7. Promote generosity
Generosity is a marvelous value that instills in children the notions of nobility and empathy. It’s also the best way to teach children to understand and obtain rewards.
To promote the value of hope in children, you must also teach them to give without expecting anything in return.
Children must learn to treat others the same way they want others to treat them. This way, their generosity will be genuine, rather than out of personal interest.
8. Encourage creation
Finally, if you want to instill values like hope in your children, you should provide a creative environment. Give your children a space where the information they receive can be useful, put into practice, and open to interpretation.
Instill the value of hope in a practical way
Once you’ve created a proper environment for your children to pick up values like hope, it’s time to put their learning into practice. To make this possible, we suggest activities such as the following:
- Use positive reinforcement when your children display desired behavior.
- Involve your children when establishing household norms.
- Use stories and fairytales to instill love.
- Combine experimentation with visual stimulation so children can manipulate, but also observe.
- Use examples without differentiating responsibilities among equals. Use correct language and always respect the idiosyncrasies of each personality.
Instilling the value of hope in your children leads to multiple benefits. Remember that your mission as a parent is to promote this value so that your children will never lose it.