What does it mean to thrive?
As parents, our ultimate goal is for our children to succeed – whether academically, socially, emotionally, or physically – we strive to see them thrive. <<< See what I did there? 🙂Â
When child experts use the term thrive, we are referring to children operating at their full potential. A child who is thriving is more likely to be emotionally stable, independent, and more capable of learning new skills and concepts.
So, are you wondering what that looks like for your child, specifically? Â
Keep reading…
INFANTS/TODDLERS (0-2 YRS)
Thriving infants and toddlers are more likely to meet developmental milestones. They are on track growth wise, and tend to wow their doctors during check-up visits. They master skills, such as fine motor and gross motor skills, and they tend to communicate better (whether non-verbal or verbal, depending on age). Thriving infants and toddlers are more likely to be advanced in certain areas. For example, a thriving  17-month-old, advanced in language, would be able to use two-word sentences, such as “Eat snack,” “Brush teeth,” or “Baby Sleep.”Â
PRESCHOOL (3-5 YRS)Â
Thriving preschoolers are also more likely to meet developmental milestones. They master skills, such as holding a pencil properly, verbally expressing emotions, and playing with others cooperatively. Thriving preschoolers can be advanced in literacy development and have the ability to clearly write a list of words or a short sentence. They are more likely to self-regulate without the help of an adult. For example, a thriving 3.5-year-old would be able to calm himself when a friend pushes him, and he would have the ability to talk to the friend about the situation without assistance from an adult.Â
SCHOOL-AGE (6-12 YRS)
Thriving school-age children are successful at using critical thinking skills. They are more likely to make friendships and sustain them due to mastering social skills and understanding complex emotions. They are more empathetic towards others and have a better understanding of their personal feelings. Thriving school-age children are more likely to have the ability to concentrate in class and retain more information.
What do children need to thrive?
Let’s jump into it! Below are 5 things that children need to thrive.Â
1) Nutrition
I’m sure you have heard that children need a healthy diet to develop properly (if not, I recommend finding a different pediatrician). But, do you know exactly how food choices impact your child’s development? Children cannot thrive when their food in-take is mainly processed foods or is not well-balanced. According to researchers, children who eat a healthy diet are more likely to experience higher academic success, better emotional control, greater physical abilities, and overall better health. You can ensure that your child is eating a health diet when you know the major nutrients that impact development, where they are sourced, and exactly what they impact. I’m going to help you with that!
Below is a FREE resource, the Nutrition Chart, which lists the major nutrients for children (ages 1 yr – 12 yrs). It also lists where they are sourced and how they impact development. You can download the chart by [clicking here]. Save the chart on your phone, and refer to it when you create your grocery list!
2) Sleep
Another basic need that can have a major impact on development, is sleep. Sleep allows the brain to reset and make new nerve connections, so it is very critical to child development. When a child misses out on critical sleep hours, he or she is more likely to suffer cognitively, physically, and socially. On the other hand, children who get proper sleep amounts are more likely to thrive mentally and physically. Their attention span is longer, and they are generally more alert. Now, if your child misses a few naps every now a then or wakes in the middle of the night, that’s fine. It is only a problem if your child constantly misses naps or goes to sleep late and has to wake up early most days out of the week.
To ensure that your child getting the correct amount of sleep, I am providing another FREE resource below. The sleep chart lists sleep requirements by age. You can download the sleep chart [here].Â
3) Routine
Children are most successful when they can control their situations. This is actually the same for adults. Have you noticed how thrown off you can be when your routine is unexpectedly changed? Imagine, hitting traffic on your way to work and being delayed 45 minutes. How would that make you feel? Seriously. Would it be so easy to keep your positivity for the remainder of the day? Well, just imagine how children feel. Especially, since they’re learning so many things for the first time! Children thrive when they have the ability to control their situations, and they are able to best control situations when they can predict or expect what is coming next. This is best executed through routines. Sleeping, eating, playing, and attending school are all basic routines that children, 0-12 yrs, can relate to. When a child’s schedule is constantly changing and is unpredictable, this can cause stress, anxiety, and sometimes depression.
Ensuring that your child adheres to a daily schedule is critical to development. Routines affect every aspect of a child’s life, and in my opinion is the most important factor when discussing what children need to thrive. Without a routine, eating, sleeping, and therefore learning are less likely to occur.
So, how can you create and maintain routines?
Younger children (0-2 yrs) will naturally have times of the day when they are hungry, sleepy, or need interaction. Your role is to maintain the routine and keep things on track. When your children are older (3-12 yrs) the routines have to be enforced. Depending on the age and personality of your child, you can try simple tactics to put routines into place:Â Â
- Create a chart or daily schedule; or
- Set alarms for each part of the day (ex. wake up, eat breakfast, complete homework, basketball practice etc.).
4) Interactive Environment
Children are shaped by their environment. This means that children need interaction with people, places, and things to develop and thrive.Â
Intentional interactions can affect a child tremendously. Every developmental domain is impacted. As your child interacts with family, he or she is being shaped. Our beliefs, thought processes, level of self-esteem, and how we view others are all impacted by interactions with family. This is why I strongly believe in engulfing our children into their home culture, as well as the culture of others. It opens the door to understanding and gaining respect for others.
Children also need interaction with other children. Peer interactions can help shape social skills and the development of emotional intelligence. COVID has made it hard to encourage peer interaction, and I believe the impact is present in our children. For example, my daughter has been home with my husband and myself since March 2020. She has grown from 7 months – 18 months with very little interaction with other children. So, when she recently returned to school (Grandma’s in-home daycare), she was hesitant to interact with the other children. I know that after a few weeks she will be good to go, but it saddens me how the pandemic has affected her.Â
Children also need a stimulating environment to enhance their problem solving and critical thinking skills. When children spend the majority of their day in front of a screen, they are limited to using only a portion of their brain. Instead, children of all ages should have opportunities to play with non-electronic toys and games, and they should engage in challenging yet achievable activities.Â
5) Patient parents
Last, but certainly not least, children need patient parents and caregivers. Children are learning and experiencing everything for the first time. So, it is very beneficial to a child’s learning experience when he or she is allowed time to figure things out. When a child is rushed, or the caregiver completes the task for the child, nothing is learned. Instead, the child is enabled to not try as hard, and their love for learning can be hindered.Â
Other negative impacts of having an impatient parent or caregiver is damage to self-esteem. When you rush your children, or complete a task for them, you are basically telling them that they are not capable of completing the task themselves. Then, when the child tries to complete the task and cannot, he may feel defeated or not good enough. Now, helping a child the first time is totally understandable, but if a child is physically or mentally capable to complete a task or understand a concept, you should allow the child a chance and time to complete it.Â
Thriving children are more likely to have experienced patience and more opportunities to make mistakes.