Here is a picture of my 10 year old daughter, Anava. Last week, I wanted to have some 1:1 quality time with her and instead of doing anything complicated (that involved spending money or driving) we simply bundled up and took a walk to the nearby forest. We had such a great time together and it was reminder to me that “less is more”.

This is a phrase we hear all the time- but what does it actually mean?
Well, it can mean alot of things.  For example, less ‘stuff’ feels like more because it may be easier to appreciate what you do have.

 

I’ve been thinking about how I can apply the ‘less is more’ concept with my own kids and how you can apply this concept with your children (or the children you work with) too.

The bottom line is that often people get caught up in believing ‘the more the better’.  This can cause us to over complicate things, cause problems where no problems exist, spend money or use our time inefficiently OR actually get in the way of our children’s growth by focusing on MORE MORE MORE!

Here are 3 ways that  the phrase “less is more” can help maximize your child’s growth in 2013:

1. Less therapies/More Quality time:  Don’t get me wrong.  There are many therapeutic treatments out there that are hugely beneficial to your child and I am not suggesting you stop them all. HOWEVER, I have seen that there is often a tendency to go to as many therapies as possible, resulting in an incredibly hectic schedule, shuffling your child back and forth, alot of time in the car and overall overwhelm.

I am suggesting that you evaluate what is in your child’s schedule and consolidate as much as possible by letting go of the therapies that don’t seem to make a huge contribution to your child’s growth.  Instead, use that time as quality 1:1 time with your child, where you can both hugely benefit from connecting, communicating and playing together.  Less is definitely more.

2. Less Involvement/More Independence.  Here is another one I see all the time (and yes, I am guilty of this too!)- getting involved and offering help, thereby getting in our child’s way of creating more independent skills. For example, offering to separate the eggs when my daughter was baking a cake, versus letting her do it on her own, figuring it out and having a sense of pride about what she did by herself.

Maybe you jump in too soon to help your child when he is trying to put on his shirt, draw a picture, sound out letters as he is reading or trying to explain something that happened that day?  By stepping back, giving space and allowing your child to figure things out on his own, you create an opportunity for true learning experiences.  The best way to help a child learn to walk is by letting him fall- that is how a sense of balance is developed.  Less involvement means more independent growth.

3. Less anticipating your child’s need/More communication.  This one is related to the point above- but worthy of separate mention.  I recently watched a video of a private client where the Mom, with all the best intentions in the world, was anticipating all the things her son needed to do his art project. She jumped up to get him glue or a paper towel to wipe his hands before he even had the time to think and therefor communicate , “Hmmmm, what’s missing?  I need glue”  or “My hands are sticky- I need a towel”.

The best way to inspire more spontaneous and independent communication from your child is doing less anticipation of his needs and allow him to identify and communicate what he wants on his own.
There are many ways that the “Less is More” concept is important in your child’s growth, especially in communication.

I am really excited to share this and many other strategies with you in my upcoming FREE training call “Create Communication Breakthroughs: Learn 3 critical strategies so your child can understand and be understood – without the tantrums and frustration!”

Thursday, January 17th, 11am PST/2 pm EST

 

Here’s what I will be revealing in this FREE call:

  • 2 simple ways to discover and AMPLIFY the communication tools your child already has.
  • The magic question that will help you identify what communication goal to focus on next to MOVE YOUR CHILD FORWARD in a clear and targeted way.
  • How to INSPIRE more independent and spontaneous language from your child- no matter what developmental stage your child is in!
  • What to make sure you AVOID so your child can have communication breakthroughs easily and successfully.

Sign Me up for This Free Call!

Don’t go yet, I ‘d love to hear from you!  Please comment below – I would love to know what you are taking away from this article.

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