Edutainment
Be the parent your child needs you to be. They need you to
be in their world. That means interacting and playing with them on their level
to prompt them through the tasks and chores they don’t want to do. Here are some tips and examples on using
effectively using edutainment with your child.
1.
Practice Healthy Competition
The child brain loves novelty. That is why healthy
competition and games get them excited.
You can help your child accomplish the daily tasks they do not
necessarily want to do by adding a fun edutainment component.
Edutainment in daily tasks may include incorporating a game
or competition into their nighttime routine to prompt them to get ready for
bed, pick up their toys, or brush their teeth long enough.
For instance, when it’s time for bed, create a healthy, fun
competition that gets them excited. You
might tell them, “Okay! It’s time to get ready for bed! Let’s see who can race
to the bathroom the fastest!” Once this
task is completed, follow up with “Who can get their toothbrush out and put the
toothpaste on the fastest?” or “Who can brush their teeth the longest?” For toothbrushing,
when you know the two minutes is up, you can finish first, allowing them to win
the competition of brushing for at least two minutes. Then, follow up with how surprised or excited
that you are that they won.
2.
Be Playful with Your Child
Your child is not going to behave all the time. They are not perfect. When your child throws a temper tantrum, is
upset or is insistent on something, add something playful to the mix that takes
their mind off it.
If my son throws a temper tantrum, sometimes I pretend in a silly
way that I am falling and hurt my foot and he laughs. Or, if he sits in a chair that I specifically
told him that I am going to sit in, I playfully act like I am going to sit on
him. He likes the silliness, and it detracts and redirects him away from his
original temper tantrum or negative behavior.
3.
Think Outside the Box
Playfulness and silliness work, but other times creative
solutions help your child accomplish their tasks and chores. Homework is one
thing that your child may not enjoy. Think outside the box to what excites them and
incorporate that into their homework time.
Younger children love tents, so building a tent or fort in
the living room together where they can go to do their homework is an exciting
way to mask the doldrums of homework. For teens, coffee shops are common
favorite hangouts, so going to one where they can have their favorite coffee
drink and do their homework is a treat that they will look forward to. Both scenarios change your child’s negative
outlook on homework to something positive.
How edutaining are you as a
parent? Whatever your level, you can better implement healthy competition, fun,
and creative approaches to motivate your child.
A child’s way of interpreting things is rarely ever black and white,
usually because they are not eager to learn.
When you edutain, you help them learn in a behavior that they embrace.
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