College-Millenial-Skill-Gap

A study performed by The Journal of Social Psychology revealed that parenting that feels overbearing and controlling causes higher levels of worry and lower well being in Millennials. The students with a greater sense of capability and competence seemed to make a greater transition into college. Those who did not grow up with a great sense of autonomy lacked motivation and this is also showing once the Millennials go on to the workforce. According to a 2018 Deloitte study, confidence, motivation, and creativity were among the top skills Millennials felt they lacked once they reached the workforce.

Here are a few ways to bridge potential skill gaps in your child:

Make your child more independent

Many parents face the challenge of making their child more independent. Set realistic but attainable expectations for your child and hold them accountable for their actions. By learning they can complete things on their own, your child will gain the confidence to continue doing things for themselves.

You can also help your child become more independent by working on their problem-solving skills. Show them how to identify different problems they face and work with them to brainstorm a few different solutions. Remember to work more as a guide rather than an answer book. It is essential to allow your child to come to their own conclusions when solving problems. That sense of autonomy is key in making their decisions feel more rewarding.

Develop your child’s self-motivation

As a parent, you want to see your child do well but you can’t let your desires outweigh the desires of your child. Instead of pressuring your child to succeed, you need to inspire them. The best way to motivate your child is by showing them how certain behaviors can be intrinsically rewarding. Through intrinsic motivation, your child will develop learning goals that will make the process of learning more enjoyable.

Foster creativity in your child

While school is important, free time is where your child can be their most creative. Music, art, and writing are just a few ways your child can express themselves. You want to support your child’s passions and let their imagination take over. Having free form activities in addition to structured activities can help boost your child’s right-brain learning, which helps them become a more divergent thinker.

How Genie Academy can help develop these skills

Here at Genie Academy, we make sure that your child splits time between working independently and working with other children. We set goals with our students to help motivate them and keep them focused on working hard. When they finish assignments, we recognize their achievements using sticker sheets and stars.

Furthermore, our curriculum works towards helping your child visualize their learning. This helps your child utilize their right side of the brain which in turn helps boost their creativity. Using this whole-brain approach, we help show our students what they are capable of accomplishing.