Every individual has their own passion that they continuously chase after. The passion one has can help one become more driven towards achieving their goals in life. This is why the earlier one discovers their passion, the better they get at it and the more achievements they can achieve.
This article will guide you on how to discover and nurture a child’s passion so that it may become a valuable tool for their success.
Passions come in different shapes and sizes. Some can be small and simple, like being able to play an instrument, while others can be extravagant like being a philanthropist. There is no definite number of passions out there as more and more are constantly being discovered by individuals every day. However, there are a few kinds of passion that are commonly shown among young children. The following are:
Ever since humanity had the idea of drawing lines on a printed surface to create a picture of an object or idea; art, and the passion for it, has also been born alongside that idea. Art can take many forms and mediums. Some use oil and canvas to portray rich and vibrant colors, others use watercolors to create art pieces with light and mellow shades, while others use digital mediums to create artworks based on pixels and technology.
Art is not only limited to printed and digital art as well. Art can take the form of sculptures, ceramics, architecture, and even literature. It is the visible representation of an artist’s skills, emotions, and ideas.
Passion for art is one of the most common passions to be exhibited by children. They can show signs of interest as early as pre-school or can be late bloomers that only show their talent and passion for art later in their teenage years.
Some individuals excel at athletic activities more than others. It is in their genes to be more physically fit than their peers. This is one factor why some individuals develop a passion for sports. However, some individuals may develop a passion for sports even if they are not physically fit. There are times when they gain an interest in sports by their own will.
Sports can be classified into two general categories: indoor and outdoor. Outdoor sports often require their players to be physically active, while indoor sports often require the player’s intellectual skill in order to attain victory.
Individuals often develop a passion for specific sports once they are introduced to them. This is why schools often include various sports in their physical education lecture in order to educate and maybe inspire children to develop a passion for sports.
Performing arts is an offshoot of art that includes dance, vocals, and theatre. These types of arts require one’s body, mind, and acting skills as the medium to portray to the audience the message, emotions, and ideas of a certain piece.
Dance utilizes one’s body to create shapes and figures in sequences that are pleasing to watch. Vocals require the skillful use of the vocal muscles of an individual as well as controlled breathing techniques in order to create sounds that are delightful to hear. And theatre combines these two by requiring the performers to both utilize their vocal muscles and contour their body in specific shapes, all while following a script laid out by the playwright.
A passion for performing arts is one of the easiest to diagnose as children as young as 2 years old can often be observed to show interest in music, dance, or both.
While the previous three passions focused on one’s skill, the next most common passion is often dependent on one’s intellectual capabilities and perseverance. It is not uncommon to see individuals who have an innate attraction towards academics. There are always those who are passionate about how they can progress towards academic greatness or how they can help others through academics.
Passion for academics is not just limited to doing well in class. Others wish to create academic papers and studies that can help ease the lives of humans even more.
While the previous three passions focused on one’s skill, the next most common passion is often dependent on one’s intellectual capabilities and perseverance. It is not uncommon to see individuals who have an innate attraction towards academics. There are always those who are passionate about how they can progress towards academic greatness or how they can help others through academics.
Passion for academics is not just limited to doing well in class. Others wish to create academic papers and studies that can help ease the lives of humans even more.
While the previous three passions focused on one’s skill, the next most common passion is often dependent on one’s intellectual capabilities and perseverance. It is not uncommon to see individuals who have an innate attraction towards academics. There are always those who are passionate about how they can progress towards academic greatness or how they can help others through academics.
Passion for academics is not just limited to doing well in class. Others wish to create academic papers and studies that can help ease the lives of humans even more.
An individual cannot determine whether they are passionate about a certain activity if they have not tried it out for themselves yet. This is why it is important to introduce various activities to a child and have them try out different things.
Let the child have free rein and let them discover what they are passionate about. This is not putting the work onto the child, rather it is giving the child the option to choose for themselves what activities they are passionate about. The child should choose for themselves what they are passionate about, as no one understands them better than themselves.
When giving the child various activities to hopefully discover their passion, one should avoid involving self-interest in their activities as much as possible. This means that one must not push activities that a child dislikes just because of their parents like that activity.
Every individual is unique in their own way. Just because their parents are good at athletics doesn’t mean that the child has to be an athlete as well. A child should be able to choose what they like for themselves based solely on their interest and should not be affected by external factors such as an adult’s preference.
After giving the child free rein and letting them discover their passion, they will most probably have chosen an activity which they like. During these times, the parent should do their best to provide support for their child. Support from a parent can take many forms, such as:
Almost every passion requires funds. From art supplies, tuition, and even hiring a mentor to teach an individual. All of these require money, money which the child does not currently possess. This is where the financial support of parents comes into play.
It doesn’t have to include spending a huge sum of money to enroll a child in a prestigious school or training camp. Financial support can be as simple as buying art supplies for the child.
There will be times when failure in a person’s field of passion is inevitable. During these times, a parent must offer emotional support for a child and help them get back on their feet. Let them know that you are always there when they need emotional support.
Another form of support a parent can give to their child’s passion is moral. The simple act of cheering a child on will do wonders to keep them motivated and pursue their chosen passion. A parent should be with their child every step of the way in order to encourage their child to do better.
If by any chance, the passion a child has chosen is something that is deemed lowly by a society, it would be best if the parent themselves were not to look down on the child’s passion. All passions are equal, what is important is the drive that a child shows to follow the said passion.
The parents of a child should be the primary source of encouragement for a child, and not the ones that will look down on the child’s passion. This can seriously damage the child’s emotional and moral well-being which could lead to them losing interest in that said passion.
Gender roles are a thing of the past. Thanks to a lot of gender equality movements and globalization, the idea that there is no specific passion for a specific gender is spreading faster than ever. Who cares if a female child decides to take up weightlifting as a sport? What’s the problem if a young boy develops a passion for cross stitching and sewing? Everyone should have the freedom to choose what passion they follow. Old and aging ideas should not constrain them such as gender roles.
If the parent truly wants to nurture their child’s passion, then the best course of action to take is to introduce them to a mentor. A mentor who already has years of experience in the child’s chosen field and passion. These mentors will be able to impart years of knowledge to the child and will help them develop and improve.
But what about those children that are passionate about academics? Well, since most teachers are already busy handling 30-40 students in a class, one can always opt to hire a tutor for their child. And what better place to look for a tutor than at Singapore’s leading home and online-based tutoring agency: FamilyTutor. With a myriad of private tuition courses and thousands of highly skilled and capable tutors, you can always be at ease by leaving your child’s private tuition needs to us.
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!
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