Are You Open and Flexible in Your Parenting?

One of the things I have learned being a special needs parent is that being open and flexible can make for much happier and calm days.

Keep in mind that HOW your child works may differ than what you are use to...and that is completely okay. Which means when they come to you with, what you think, is an odd request...be open and flexible to what they are asking. 

I am NOT saying you can always say yes, but the more you can say "yes" to what excites them, the more you build their emotional, social, and academic skills.

For example, yesterday Munchkin came running up to my Husband and I as she had found 2 new Minecraft world games where she could be an Archeologist/Paleontologist digging for dinosaur bones and the other a she could be Marine Biologist studying and rescuing animals in the see. Many tend to think down about the learning power of video games. I encourage you to be open and flexible.

I understand that my child is a visual, auditory, hands on learner and games like this really help concepts stick.

She was so excited about these. She was considerate in asking if we could afford them. (Which we could and loaded right away.) We spent the next 2 hours immersed in these games. We learned about Dinosaurs that I have never heard of. They require problem solving, math concepts to buy new equipment, map reading skills, inventory management, reading of instructions, and then following instructions. WOW! That's a lot of learning. If I was closed minded to how my child learns, her use of screen time, and video games; all that knowledge, passion, and excitement would have been lost. 

Do I always prefer this style of learning? Nope, because there are times I feel awful about the amount of screen time I permit. But in the same breath, this isn't about me. It's about HER. Feeding the passion that leads to natural learning, social skills, and emotion skills (as she has to work through struggles), is pure magic.

Being open and flexible applies to so many facets of parenting. So the next time you are faced with a request or a situation, ask yourself if you are being to rigid? Can you be open and flexible for the mental health and well being of your child? It can make all the difference for both of you