If you have children, you likely know how hard it can be to get them to try something new. Whether it’s a new food that you want to introduce them to or a new hobby that you think they’d enjoy, children can be very averse to trying new things, especially if they feel nervous about other things in their life as well. But as a parent, you want to ensure that your child experiences as much joy in their life as possible, which means trying new things every once in a while.
To help you get your child more comfortable with this idea, here are three ways to teach your kids how to be open to new experiences in life.
Experience New Things Together
For many people, kids included, doing new things on their own can be scary. So if you have something that you’d like your child to try, consider how you can try this new thing together.
While trying to have your children experience something that you’ve already experienced before can be fun, putting yourself in the same situation as your child by trying something brand new to both of you can be even more beneficial. In this situation, you can talk about your own fears and excitement so that your child can see how you work through these emotions. So whether it’s trying caviar for the first time or going to a new park together, experiencing new things together can be a great place to start.
Encourage Positive “What Ifs”
If you find that your child is often scared or nervous to try something new, try to dig into these feelings with them to see where they’re coming from and what they’re really afraid of.
Many times, children can go into a worst case scenario spiral if they’re scared about trying something new. So if they stay saying things like what if something bad happens, you can spin this by asking them what if something good happens. This way, they can start to imagine some of these positive things rather than just all of the negative things.
Go Through The Most Likely Scenarios Beforehand
In many cases, it’s the fear of the unknown that makes people, including kids, scared of trying something new.
To help them overcome these fears, it can be helpful to go through some of the most likely scenarios of what could happen before they embark on this new experience. Sharing with them what to expect and talking through what will likely happen along each step of the way can help them feel more at ease about trying this new thing and even feel a bit of excitement for it.
If you want to encourage your children to be open to having new experiences in life, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you teach them this valuable life skill.