How Parents Can Meet Their Kids’ 3 Most Vital Yet Overlooked Needs

Smart InvestmentsMarch 31, 2020

The ubiquity of technology in children’s lives is often seen as a bad thing. What most parents don’t realize is that technology isn’t really the root of the problem. According to psychology experts, all children have certain psychological needs that should be met to keep them healthy. These are the three most important ones.

The Feeling of Competence

Shutterstock | Ask your kids what they like doing and help them to pursue these in a way that they would progress

Just like adults, kids would benefit greatly from having something they are competent at doing. Unfortunately, it’s often the case that the joy of progressing in an activity or knowledge area they’re good at is waning in kids these days. One contributor to this is the requirement of standardized exams in schools. While they can gauge advancement, tests sometimes can’t serve as a universal measure of learning as different children learn and develop at different rates.

When kids feel that their efforts aren’t helping them become competent, they might end up not trying at all and turn to unhealthy ways to experience the feeling of growth. These may come in the form of indulging too much in apps or games. Thus, parents are advised to loosen expectations a bit and let their kids find something they enjoy.

Socializing with Other Children

Unsplash | What they should do though is let their children have more free time to interact with kids their age

Man is a social being. Even at a young age, they need the companionship of other people. For kids, this need can be fulfilled by having opportunities to meet other children and play with them. However, today’s young generation seems to have fewer chances of socializing with other people their age than their counterparts in previous generations. Many parents today tend to be stricter with their kids when it comes to letting them spend time outside the home thanks to concerns regarding bullies, predators, and road traffic dangers.

A Sense of Freedom

Shutterstock | When it comes to screen time, consider letting kids set their own limitations instead of imposing strict rules on them right away

In connection with giving kids the time to socialize with other people, parents should also consider giving them more control over their own choices. As some experts have found, it can be helpful for kids to set their own goals in aspects like learning instead of the parents doing the agenda-setting. Moms and dads can then act as a support system to help their kids achieve their goals. This kind of dynamic has been observed by experts studying Mayan villages and is said to be the complete opposite of what is being done in American schools.