Teachable Moments: Making the Most of the Time with Your Child
Each and every day your child is learning.
It might be learning from example by watching you or someone else.
It might be learning from a mistake made in a particular experience.
It might be learning from a tv show or book.
There are opportunities we are presented with as parents to take advantage of; these are called TEACHABLE MOMENTS. As the parents, we must be in tune to those opportunities so that we notice them and do something about it.
A teachable moment is an opportunity (usually unplanned) that comes in which a new topic (or spin on a familiar topic) is presented in the real world. The teacher (parent) can use that real world situation and expound on the concepts involved, explaining and asking questions.
So, let’s talk about where those opportunities might present themselves and what you can do when the teachable moment comes up.
In the car
For many busy families, teachable moments can come while driving in the car.
Keep the screens OFF! Our family has chosen to not use the tv screen in the car unless on long vacation trips. Your opportunities for open conversation with your child will not come up with tv screens on.
Think about it. As you drive, you pass by countless objects (whether you live in a suburban, rural, or urban area). Create a spirit of pointing things out when you drive and ASK QUESTIONS. If you adopt this behavior, your children will start to point things out as well. Asking questions will get your child to thinking—-even if an immediate answer is not known. It can be something you research later on.
If you pass by an ambulance, that’s an opportunity to talk about safety.
If you pass by an interesting house or structure, you can talk about shapes or designs.
If you’re stopped at a stoplight, it’s an opportunity to talk about patience or even stopping distance and looking both ways.
You get the idea.
My car drives as a child were long. We lived in the country. My parents talked to us on the drives and allowed us to talk. When we had to have a large shopping day, we drove even further to a city. There were plenty of opportunities to talk with each other.
And by the way, it doesn’t mean you can’t listen to the radio or allow your child to draw or read a book. Those are all opportunities for learning as well.
Start thinking now about how you can snag a teachable moment as you drive the family car.
In the kitchen
Our family has plenty of time in the kitchen while getting our meals or working at the table on school work or a craft.
Teachable moments come up with cooking. These are practical skills they will need as they get older. I can certainly let them try using the whisk to stir or delegating someone to brown/cook the hamburger meat while I grab other ingredients.
You can also have teachable moments with cleanup. In our family, I cannot handle the clean up for everyone else, so it’s important the children know how to sweep, mom, vacuum, and wipe counters down.
Remember to ask questions, like “Do you know why I [do it this way]?”
or “What would happen if I "[did it this way]?”
Outdoors
You might be at a park. You might be in your yard or even on a walk.
Point things out in nature. Stop and “smell the roses.” Ask questions about plants, animals and other outdoor items.
Your child will be an adult one day and is in training. Think about what is helpful for him/her to know and be able to do.
Have you noticed a pattern so far of TALKING WITH YOUR CHILD?
In social situations or in public
Whether you are at church or in a grocery store or a doctor’s office, there are teachable moments.
Allow your child to ask questions. It’s ok if you don’t know the answer. You can find out the answer together or just wonder. The process of asking about what you observe and thinking is still learning!
Interactions will happen as you are out with people.
It might be an introduction with someone, and you can practice being polite and having eye contact.
It might be an interaction where safety is a concern and you must practice how to react quickly while remaining calm.
A TINY example happened the other day when I was walking down the aisle of the grocery store and noticed a fabric softener sheet on the floor. I picked it up and said, “Someone might slip on this!” That was a small teachable moment on safety and being a good citizen.
Another example happened when we met another family at a coffee shop. My third grader insisted he sit with the older children, but soon found himself in a situation where we was being laughed at—over and over. The other children meant no harm (and were being silly in what I would call “a middle school way”), but he did NOT get their sense of humor…and none of the older ones were aware enough that he was OVER it and did NOT enjoy it. I was observing from a distance and could tell he was “saving face.” When we were away from the group, we had discussions about options he had in that situation if he did not like what was happening. We also had discussions with my oldest child (7th grader) about how he could have reacted differently since it was his brother and he knew him better. We even talked about the term “saving face” and what it means.
This post is not meant to be exhaustive, but let me ask you,
“When are you with your child?” (Add up the hours you are NOT with your child, and realize those are lost opportunities for the teachable moments. You can try to recover some time by asking about their time away, however many children cannot remember or aren’t willing to chat about it.)
“What teachable moments come up when you’re together?”
“Can you do a better job noticing those moments as they occur?”
“Can you incorporate asking your child more questions to get them to think?”
“Do you need to reduce the time your child is on a screen, since we know that does not promote family conversations?”
Leave a comment below and share with a friend!
Are you interested in homeschooling?
There are loads of opportunities for teachable moments with your child when you homeschool. You would not believe the amount of things your child can learn without a worksheet, test, and homework just by spending time and interacting with you!