Many educators and psychologist say that age 3-5 is a critical time for learning and helping to structure young children’s mind. I believe many behaviors and skills seen in adults are rooted in childhood. As a Nurse Educator and Certified Diabetes Educator, I have seen a lot of adults suffer from low self-efficacy. The word can’t sound so negative when I hear it and encourages limitations to what a person can or cannot do. I believe the word can’t need to be banned from our household, and I am on a mission to make it obsolete.
I find both my 5-year-old and 2-year-old using the word can’t sometimes. I think they may have picked it up from an episode of their favorite cartoon. Either way, I want our son and daughter to believe in the possibilities, know that there is more than one way to get something done, and experiment with different paths to get the same result while respecting others. I love encouraging our children to be optimistic and using problem-solving skills. I do not feel like I am forcing them to think a certain why….I try to be very careful with what I say and how I say it. I just wonder…. why wait until they are in school to encourage them to think for themselves and outside the box.
Please share your comments.
