Sara has four children. All of them were brought up in the same house yet they are all totally different. Then why do we give instructions to our different students and expect the same answer. We as mentors need to recognize that every child is unique and to make it easier, we have categorized four common personalities.
Dominant children are controlling, usually quick headed and aggressive yet visceral thinkers. The best way to deal with them is to give them power. If a dominant child misbehaves and makes it a point to not study, try reminding them of how responsible you think they are or how you trust them to set a good example for the other kids. These types of children function well if they are praised and given authority over others. A good way to steer them towards studying is by making them a class prefect.
Passive children are shy, solitary learners who perceive the world behind a one way mirror. Approaching them is hard to say the least. The key word is safety; approach them with kindness and make them comfortable with ideas before introducing them. They require more social triggering and a stable relationship with their teacher. Try to open up yourself to them and listen to their ideas. Try introducing them to debating for a change. Most importantly a parent to such a child is their backbone so don’t forget to believe and positively reinforce your child.
Social children as the name suggests, are good team players and perform their best in groups. They are usually open minded, entertaining and expressive kids. Tip of the year: Never discourage, shout at or ridicule a social child. It’s a disastrous thing that many Pakistani parents are guilty of. Work with them, listen and participate with these type of social twitters. If your kid is talented the stage might just be the best environment for them to learn.
Perfect children are somewhat rare, hard working and organized. They have a robotic approach towards studying and believe in perfection as a way of life. The sad thing is that in the long term, this approach fails. Too much early success leaves a child, defenseless against dealing with failure. They are stressed individuals with a witty over confident attitude that goes against learning new concepts. The best way to deal with these kids is to use their strengths. Give them challenges, new ideas to work with and a clear path to follow with acknowledgement. Also, let them ease out often by inviting their friends of watching a movie with them.
Happy Parenting!