Agile Parenting

Category : Agile LeadershipBeyond Agile

 

By Vineet Patni | 10 June 2022

 

 

 

 

Developing Leadership in Children using Agile Values & Principles

 

Being a parent to a new life is a blessing, but it comes with much responsibility. We need to think that our child has a valuable life, and we should help them maintain the uniqueness they have. The human brain is capable of thinking and performing beyond our expectations. Have you ever heard about players breaking records so a human can outperform their past generation to create a new milestone? But not everyone can do it. The right way to approach life helps them believe and become better than others.

 

Linking Agile with Parenting or “Working with children.”

 

Agile is the way your approach a situation, the way your think, and then ultimately adapt to it. Taking inspiration from my learnings in the Agile space, I think deeply about how these core concepts can be connected and applied in the parenting space to empower children at an early age and to enable them to find ways to lead a fulfilling life.

 

The principles of Agile seen in our personal lives, our Trust, Interactions, Adopting, Simplicity, Feedback, Courage, Coordination, Self-organization, Non-verbal empathy, Empowering, etc., are the foundation to define our personality. The way we adopt, express, reciprocate, etc., a child ultimately picks it from us, and we need to be responsible for their behavior to a certain extent. But that doesn’t mean we are always in the spotlight when our child misbehaves or is not behaving as per society’s standards. We need to define these terms for our unique child.

 

We need to work with children to help them, and we need to study with them. But, we need to change this scenario, the way we approach going to school. If your child loves to study, then school is the right place for them. But, if your child is interested in playing a sport, you don’t need to push them hard to study; instead, encourage them to explore sports. Focus on building a relationship with your child. We as a parent need to be empathetic about our child’s choices and listen to their opinion.

 

Curiosity: Importance of Asking Questions

 

Curious minds are always looking for an answer. Four year old asks 100 questions. But a Graduate finds it hard to ask ten questions. Why? Have you ever thought about it? What happens to that active brain which is now not raising any query after growing up? It is the transition between getting an answer and stopping creativity. This needs to stop. A better way to let questions be the new way of answering is by asking a question again for a question somebody asks you. Yes, it will keep the creative mind from thinking, discovering something new, or increasing expression.

 

We must change ourselves to witness a change in our little ones. We focus more on getting answers, and children should know every fact. Instead, we should encourage him to think. Answer a question with a question to allow them to think. If we answer, we stop their thinking. If we feel irritated by the questions, we should share our thoughts. The child will learn to express how to demonstrate in front of the child to express that we are irritated.

 

My Agile Parenting mantra (and it’s still evolving):

 

~ First and foremost, Do Not treat children as kids.

~ Believe in their capabilities and support their dreams.

~ Empower your children and let them make small and big decisions early, even if their choices do not result in desirable outcomes.

~ Teach them how to learn from every experience of their lives.

~ Create an environment where they can express themselves fully and be available whenever they need to converse with you.

~ Help them come up with the values that are important for them and the importance of serving and contributing to the growth of humankind.

 

About The Author:

 

Vineet Patni is the Founder and Principal Agile Coach at ScaleUp. An avid learner and a passionate facilitator, Vineet has been assisting enterprises and individuals in becoming truly Agile. Please feel free to connect with him at Vineet@ScaleUpConsultants.com . 

 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the author’s own. The author welcomes and respects any difference of opinion.