A resourceful child is a future-ready child, able to tackle problems with creativity and resilience.
Imagine your child in 2040, faced with a new type of technology in their future workplace. They confidently navigate through unfamiliar territory, devising innovative solutions to new challenges. This future success would not be down to luck. It would be rooted in the resourcefulness and creativity skills your child cultivated during their childhood.
Your child’s future world will be constantly shaped by technological advances and shifting challenges, so creative problem-solving, or what we term as ‘resourcefulness’, is a critical soft skill they will need. In this article, we share how you can nurture resourcefulness in your child and explore how creating the right environment now can raise a resilient, creative problem-solver of the future.
Is resourcefulness really that important?
Resourcefulness, one of the seven character strengths of our C.O.U.R.A.G.E. framework, is the ability to find solutions to challenges using whatever tools are available. Resourceful kids don’t wait for instructions or perfect conditions; they figure things out for themselves. When life throws curveballs, they approach problems with creativity and determination. In a world where innovation, adaptability and initiative are increasingly prized, resourcefulness will help your child succeed in environments that demand flexibility and quick thinking.
Teaching your kids how to approach problems with creativity, confidence and resourcefulness sets them up for success, not only academically but in anything they do in life.
What you can do to encourage resourcefulness
The good news is that nurturing resourcefulness and the ability to problem-solve doesn’t have to be so complex. Raising resourceful children doesn’t require an overhaul of your daily routine or doing something out of your reach. Here are practical strategies you can use as a parent to encourage your child to be resourceful:
- Foster curiosity and inquiry-based learning
This might amuse you as a parent. You can turn your child’s innate ability to ask questions back on them. While they are always asking you questions when they discover new wonders in their life, you too can ask them “why” and “how” questions to have them think about the discovery in new ways, even if it means stepping into topics you’re unfamiliar with. For example, if they ask how rainbows are formed, explore the science of light and refraction together. Curiosity-driven exploration creates a natural problem-solving mindset. It’s OK to admit to your child that you don’t know the answer. Half the fun of the journey is travelling with them through the discovery process.
- Teach collaborative problem-solving
Teamwork is key to tackling real-world challenges. Engage your child in group activities, such as solving puzzles with siblings or planning a project with friends. Enrol them in programmes like Ranger Buddies that allow them to collaborate with other children on problem-solving activities. Learning to work with others builds communication and negotiation skills. Make sure your child has plenty of opportunities to work in group settings.
- Promote a growth mindset
Teach your child that failures are stepping stones to success. For instance, if their science project doesn’t work as planned, frame it as an opportunity to tweak and improve, not as a defeat. Go as far as to celebrate the failure because you know that success will be the ultimate conclusion. Remember that Edison found 1,000 ways not to invent the lightbulb before he succeeded. Sticky notes came about from a failed attempt at making another type of adhesive that was not strong enough for its purpose. This, like other great inventions and innovations of our time, came about through making mistakes. A growth mindset helps children persevere through challenges, especially when they know that they are on a journey that involves both success and failure and can welcome both.
- Incorporate play-based learning
Games like chess or escape room challenges are fantastic tools for fostering creativity and critical thinking. Playful learning removes the fear of failure, and you may be amazed to discover how resourceful your child can be once they learn to think of alternatives to the norm. One parent recalled their three-year-old getting locked in a public toilet cubicle when the toddler wasn’t able to figure out how to turn the lock to open the door. The panicked parent focused on calling out instructions through the door, only to see, with relief and immense pride, their child slide out from under the gap between the floor and the door. How resourceful!
- Model problem-solving behaviours
Children learn by example. If you encounter a challenge, narrate your thought processes aloud. For instance, if the family car has a flat tire, talk through your steps to fix it, showing resourcefulness in action. Having your child realise that a problem is not a defeat but just the next step towards a successful outcome is precious.
How to build an environment that encourages resourcefulness and creativity
An enriching environment can do wonders for your child’s problem-solving skills. Here’s how to create that for them:
- Provide opportunities for risk-taking
Allow your child to take small risks, such as trying a new hobby or solving a tricky puzzle. Safe spaces for trial and error teach resilience and independent thinking. Removing the shame around getting things wrong is liberating and can completely change your child’s view of learning for the better. Fear paralyses. When fear is removed from the learning environment, great things can happen.
- Limit over-structuring and encourage autonomy
Balance structured activities like music lessons with unstructured playtime. For example, let your child spend an afternoon building a fort from cardboard boxes. This encourages creative exploration and imagination. Or, in keeping with the musical theme, allow your child to experiment with free-flow improvisation after their structured segment. This will allow them to play with the theory they have learned in a more relaxed and loose musical framework that encourages creativity and self-expression. That’s how jazz was formed. And where would we be without this creative form of musical self-expression?
- Integrate technology and real-world applications
Leverage tools like coding apps, robotics kits, or even household tasks like baking to teach problem-solving. These activities blend learning with real-world applications, making lessons stick. Think about it. We bet you remember the times in school spent doing something practical more than you remember the theories taught where you made notes at your desk. The act of “doing” triggers memory functions in the brain that attribute pictures and memories to a learning that is remembered long after the fact.
The long-term benefits of raising resourceful problem solvers
As we’ve covered, developing resourcefulness is a process that is intentional and doesn’t happen overnight. It requires consistent application to allow your child to lean back on this superpower for a lifetime of success. As mundane repetitive tasks in the workplace are being taken over by robotics and AI automation, job roles of the future will rely on employees who can apply critical thinking and resourcefulness.
Problem solvers also tend to be lifelong learners. A curious, creative mindset fosters a love for discovery, keeping your child ahead in an ever-changing world. Whether it’s navigating a future career, managing personal relationships, or doing well in school, these skills will give your child a distinct advantage. Remember, every small step you take today to nurture problem-solving skills and resourcefulness in your child contributes to a brighter future, for them and the world they’ll grow up in.
Through Ranger Buddies missions, children exercise resourcefulness to solve environmental challenges and find creative ways to tackle different obstacles. Check out what’s on today!
REVIEWED BY DR JACQUELINE CHUNG