Every parent thinks their child is a goldmine of talents and the recent boom of reality shows focused on kids has only fanned the parental emotions to explore more and more talents in their children. But the key here is to recognize the real talent of your child and not try to impose ‘talents’ on him or her; there is a very fine line between the two, says Clinical psychologist Prachi S Vaish.
Let it emerge
You cannot ‘look for’ talent. It just shines right before your eyes and you can’t miss it. If you have to dig deep for it, it most probably doesn’t exist. So instead of pressuring your child to excel in chess or dance, or any such activity, see what he’s best at…that’s his talent; not what you can make him learn.
None less than the other
Just because your child is good at math doesn’t mean that his talent is any less important than your neighbor’s child who can sing to an audience. Talent is not synonymous with performance. Just see what your child can do better than all his peers and that is special.
Give them space
In this competitive world where everyone is vying for limelight, it can be frustrating for some parents to wait to discover their child’s gift. But if you hound him every time he does something well, he will start to shy away. So if you really want to find out what makes your child shine, let him have his space and try out everything. Like you, even he isn’t aware of what he is good at.
Never doubt
If you want your child to find his special skill then never discourage him from attempting anything. So what if he doesn’t sound like the reality show winner when he hums a tune…at least it gives him pleasure. Children are adventurous by nature; they are not afraid of ridicule. And it would be best not let that fear of embarrassment creep into his little mind. Just make sure you’re by his side when he doesn’t do something as well as he wanted, to give him confidence.
Training is must
Even when you find something that seems to be your child’s passion and he seems to be especially endowed in the field, it is always a good idea to let him receive training in the same to hone his skills. It’s the same thing as a diamond being precious by itself but needs the shaper’s hands to really show its brilliance and be appreciated.
Take pride in your child
Talent is not always an ability to sing, dance, draw, play or study. It is not always something that you can categorically see. Sometimes it is just an ability to be a patient listener, to be a healer just by touch, to be especially sensitive to others’ pain or to just be able to bring a smile to everyone’s face. In the long run, it is these attributes which will make him a well-known person and they certainly qualify as talents.
Try not to fall into the trap of the glitz, glamour and smother your little one to forcefully produce a talent. He is special in his own way and sooner or later you will recognize it for sure!
