Creating A Sense Of Belonging For Children
Making a child feel secure and incorporating a sense of belongingness helps them to develop confidence and strengthen their self-identity.
A Sense of Identity
Knowing where and to whom you belong is integral to humankind and generally, children tend to belong first to their family and then to a cultural group or neighborhood. Be it early childhood or any growing stage of life, relationships play a vital role in shaping a perspective about relationships and their identity or preferences for that matter. Based on their interdependence with others, they have a choice to pick people who they wish to bond with, called the chosen family, or friends. Substantially a child learns a sense of
identity through the bonds and experiences they share at home and in their close environment. With time, they understand their preferences and dislikes and comprehend an identity of their own. It becomes significant to comprehend your identity to develop sensitivity and strengthen your personal and cultural identity while respecting others too.
A Sense of Belongingness
Encouraging a sense of belonging for children creates an environment where they can grow vigorously. An open and collaborative format of learning makes learning interactive and safe for children to express their views and share their ideas. A familiar face motivates them and also it ensures belief in them. A child needs to feel safe in the environment they’re growing up in and should be ensured that the people around them are genuinely concerned about them so that they develop positive relationships and ask for help whenever needed. Their mental health needs to be protected along with their physical well-being, as happier kids are more successful and motivated learners. Thus, one should feel warmth, affection, and a sense of belongingness to be able to evolve.
Role in Building a Sense of Belongingness
A healthy environment has to be provided to children especially those who are at the growing stage of their lives as it helps to create a positive impact on them and it is believed that the family’s positive involvement constructs a productive impact on their learning skills, and behavior and understanding relationships. Having good communication with your children on regular basis is extremely important to maintain a healthy relationship with them and being available for them would also make them feel secure and loved. Lack of attention and communication can create a gap between the parents and children which gets tricky to bridge after a certain time period. Thus, progressing a sense of belongingness from a young age allows children to be more confident in exploring, engaging, and being themselves without cornering their parents.
