What is Problem-Solving? Why is it such a hot topic these days?

Problem-solving is the ability to identify and address challenges effectively. It’s a multi-step process that involves critical thinking, creativity, and resilience.

So whenever you hear of this term, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? let me guess! How to fix a broken thing Right?

Let’s shift the focus to a 9-year-old kid attending his school daily, attending every class, doing homework, and being a good student. One thing to ponder is:

1. Is he learning enough to develop his skills?
2. What happens when a real challenge comes up?
3. As a parent, You want to fix all things for him?

when you list down answers to all these questions, you can figure out what next steps you should take to build problem-solving skills in your kids.

Well! this is all just one part of the tip of the iceberg. But here is a good news for you. You can adapt to certain methods or activities to promote such skills. A research paper published in the National Institutes of Health (link of research paper) even highlights the link between problem-solving skills and cognitive development in young children.

So, how can you, as a parent, shift your mindset?

1. Move beyond “finding the answer”: As much as finding the answer is important observing the process is a crucial part of problem-solving.
2. A mistake is just an opportunity to learn: We all are humans, and we are allowed to make mistakes so see this as an opportunity to teach new concepts or lessons to your kids.
3. Acknowledge all the achievements: I have learned that real progress is acknowledging all the small achievements which I call the “Cheese” (a concept from the book: Who Moved My Cheese?) Acknowledge the hard work your child puts into tackling a challenge, not just the outcome.

Now let’s get practical! Here are some of the ways you can develop problem-solving skills in your kids

1. Storytelling techniques: Include reading habits into your daily activities. Spend a maximum of 10 minutes every day or according to your schedule and read 2 or 3 pages of a book. Ask open-ended questions after reading a story.
2. Programming Adventure: Play board games to build strategic thinking, Introduce basic concepts of coding to help them build their skills.
3. Kitchen Empire: Turn your kitchen into a problem-solving playground! These open-ended activities encourage creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration as they experiment and find solutions.

Remember the key is to have fun while you’re teaching these concepts

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