Every child is special and possesses one or more special talent - something they are specifically good at, something they do better than other things. Like a seven year old boy could be really bad at dancing, but could be drawing beautiful sketches in his sketchbook and you may not even be aware. Here are some ways by which you can know about his interests:
Listen
As a parent, one should take keen interest in whatever the child has to say. Listening patiently is the key to finding what he/she is capable of. Kids talk about things that interest them and many times, they want to know how they can do it. So, next time when your child comes running to you to show something that's really interesting and you're working, keep your work aside for ten minutes and listen.
Do not judge
So he is talking about how his grandmother knit a beautiful sweater and is fascinated by the design she made and it makes you nervous that he is probably nurturing a hobby more suited to girls. Don't judge him! Appreciating the aesthetics of the design is not something that should make you skeptical about his hobbies, it should make you realise that he may have an eye for design and patterns - a useful and important trait of a graphic artist.
Do not jump to conclusions
Your daughter is shy and stays quiet in the company of others. She is hardly ever comfortable conversing with people outside her family and friend circle and you conclude she is antisocial and lacks communication skills. Wrong!
That alone shouldn't let you decide. She might be imagining strange characters in strange situations. She could be delivering beautiful speeches alone and talking wonderfully with her imaginary characters because real people scare her. It's not social skills she lacks, it's self-confidence. And that's what you should be working on.
Encourage
Encourage your kids to explore, learn, make mistakes and spend time on various activities. Don't stop them from doing anything unless it's harmful. Encourage them to learn from their mistakes rather than crying over them and feeling disappointed.
They know what makes them happy but are not sure and need your help and encouragement for this purpose.
Be a good parent and support them!
Author: Gunjan Vyas
Gunjan is a college student who likes to write as a hobby. She has contributed to internationally acclaimed anthologies and also published a well-received collection of short stories.