Finding out your child’s interests

Contributed by : Palak Vyas

Knowing the interest of your child will help you guide your child better.

The only way to find your child’s interest is to spend time with your child.

Be observant and keep an eye over his/her activities, emotions, feelings and excitement. Listen to them carefully whenever they talk.
Observe where and how they like to spend their time. What kind of company (s)he likes. What is that excites him/her while (s)he talks?
Once you have identified a few areas of their interest, you can ask them questions related to it. For example, if your child seems very excited while watching a movie nature, you may conclude (s)he likes something about nature. So then dive deep into their psyche, ask them what they particularly like about nature. If they say they like water or trees or birds, plan their activities around such elements.
Give your child time to explore, let them have real experiences. Let them have practical experience of more than one hobby or interest. Their regularity and their performance will be able to tell you what interests them and then ask them whether they would love to take it further.
Sometimes it so happens that a child is interested in something at the beginning but gradually loses interest as time passes by. In this situation, encourage them, praise them and push them. Ask them the reason behind their disinterest. Motivate them to continue but never force them too much. Know the difference between what is that they enjoy and what feels like a burden to them.

Eventually, your child will stick to his/her passion if (s)he has your full support.

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