Scaffolding parenting can be defined as to provide an environment where children learn to function to the best of their capability while encouraging their active engagement and autonomy as well as more than just doing things for kids.
Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do.
Let’s look at that closely and understand its usage, first.
Parenting is a great education in life skills. No matter, if you teach them by playing with them, giving lessons, or some combination of these, just like any other parent you want the best for them.
We don’t want them to be happy, capable, and independent only. But we’d also like them to grow. Parents can walk them along this process when they use the method of scaffold parenting.
So, What Is Scaffolding Parenting?
Parenting fads like they get changed over time and it is very difficult to keep a tab on them. The scaffold parenting, nevertheless, is a notion as old as hills seemingly. It is classic parenting approach.
It is a product of one of the most leading learning theories and has proven to be very effective for people on the stability of positive parenting styles like authoritative or gentle parenting.
For instance, take a case of constructing the house. It means that you first have to put up with the temporary supports, the scaffolding, in order to make the house higher and stronger.
Sculpting parenting works the same way. The metaphorical handholds in the role of parents offer the same platform for the children to move from one level to the next effortlessly.
You aren’t doing it for them, but instead are just giving them the necessary tools and pointing of the way for them to achieve it by themselves.
So, what involves a scaffolding parent? When you are using your parents’ house as a landing strip for your little bird (the child), it is like a steady place for the baby.
It is that you mainly support, give an understandable structure for how it works, and promote them to try as always. It involves walking alongside them, giving tips, gentle corrections and appreciating the tiniest advances that they make.
The scaffolding support of parenting resembles of an assembly of a tower with your child. Not only will be the provider of the strong foundation and necessary parts but they will also work on assembling it.
This implies not just aiding your child in linking what he/she has known with exiting interesting skills and ideas you discover.
Why Is It Awesome? Here Are Some Key Benefits:
Unlocks their inner explorer: Scaffolding boosts children’s interest in educational activities and they learn new concepts much more readily on their own.
Turns “I can’t” into “I can!”: I find it easier to acquire knowledge now and the feeling is awesome.
Boosts independence: And your youngster, having conquered different hurdles becomes independent.
Creates a safe learning zone: This community offers the ability to step up from failure and where a person can err.
Calms those learning jitters: The worries disappear and you can finally feel less excited and worried.
Learning becomes fun again: Students remain focused, which translate into learning. The process becomes interesting as well as fun.
Kids take charge of their learning: They are not the one last line in the learning progress anymore but are starting to be active participants in their own training.
Bonus: One of the many benefits scaffolding at parenting is an awesome way to deal with a child who has a mental problem like anxiety, ADHD, or autism. When they face the full blow of assignments. Sometime they go emotionally inside out. So, help from other people is there to overcome both fear and confusion.
Scaffolding Parenting in Action
Want to experiment but with your own kids? Here’s few steps you can follow:
Lead by example: Kids learn watching others. Illustrate to them the skills you are looking to achieve from the discussion. Present them the opportunity to see you crack a tricky job or struggle through any possible difficulties associated with it.
Explain it differently: Not only every individual has the right to studying the way they think it’s more efficient but none learns the same way. If you can illustrate a fresh concept with words, images, or even oral narration then it would be better.
Take it slow: Cover new things with short readings and darken them by the least part. Don’t rush. To the detriment of their learning, it’s more helpful to them if it is taught one bit at a time rather than in one go.
Picture this: Charts, may be drawings, or simple objects may stick these information on the ground.
Make those big tasks smaller: When a work is difficult you may think it’s an impossible thing. Divide them into smaller bits, and place each one separately so your child can tackle each one at a time successfully.
Let them think: Support them in this by getting them to use information they already own, and mentioning what you are teaching, in order to connect dots and solve puzzles.
Be their biggest supporter: Appreciate their work, and don’t prohibit yourself from providing them with a little gentle guidance when things are turning complicated.
The Takeaway
Do you want to be a helicopter parent?
Do you want to do everything for your child including nurturing, motivating and moderating his or her life or want to get rid of his or her wings so as to let them fly on their own?
Scaffolding could be word-for-word, but essentially, it means being the extraordinarily good support your child needs. In that case, you are there to improve and make their knowledge stronger.
Scaffolding is a wonderful theory, but it’s much more difficult for the parents to allocate resources for it.
It’s hard because it needs to be done with the focus, caring presence being there, and the whole process takes a lot of time. So it’s understandable even for parents that in the end they’ll ask if the effort and all the work is worth it – especially when some changes are on a small scale and not that obvious.
Scaffold parenting, similar to all the parenting styles which are worth pursuing, is about regarding the future after a while. It is nice and dandy to look at the moon each time you see your child sleep through the night.
It is very easy to get sidetracked and lose focus when you are confronted with the more difficult aspects of parenting.
Imagine this as an opportunity that brings you and your baby closer, enabling you to grow and learn together, not the pilot way of healthier conduct.
Remember, you’re not alone. Parenting is tough. If you be struggling with some aspects of parenting, the counselor can give you some wonderful ideas to maintain your parenting status as awesome.
