Kids Opinions Vital for Parents

by Jerri Foster
(Wisconsin)

If we ask kids today about any subject that they like, they would usually answer subjects like Math, Science, Art, History and/or Social Studies and English.

Though these subjects used to be ignored, today, some kids prefer these subjects for the following reasons: For Math, it is a subject that serves as a tool for a chosen career. Not all kids think of playing forever, they know that someday, they need to find jobs.

For this reason, kids are looking into the math subject and even enjoying it. Science is amazing for kids since it's in science that kids get to discover a lot of things.

Kids are natural born scientists. They are eager to learn, to discover the things around them. Art is also one of this subjects that they like is art, whether drawing or to color some line drawings or do paper folding to create objects.

Kids can express their ideas and their emotions about certain things that they don’t usually tell to other people. In History/Social Studies, kids know this is also important because it is in this subject that you gain knowledge about what happened in the past and what events created the society of today.

It is the English language that kids should enjoy because it is where they could read about certain fictional characters from stories and poems. Kids prefer these subjects today because it’s what they see and hear from their environment.

Getting opinions from their peers usually are on what subject they like, come from group talk from their peers.

Kids are often persuaded by their peers to like this or thst because it is what most kids like.

The parents are the children’s heroes/role models. So it is very understandable that the kids are influenced by what their parents often talked about or what their parents tell them and/or advise them.

Some parents would tell their children that you need to learn this subject if you ever want to be a teacher, a policeman, an accountant, etc. And some kids too prefer to ask their parents what subjects they like when they were kids, since some kids prefer to “copy” their parents.

Teachers play a vital role in educating kids in school so the ways in which a teacher uses to educate children may be from dull to interesting. But if the teacher is an effective or an interesting one, he/she may have inspired the kids to be interested or may even convince them that a certain subject is fun and easy.

And this may also influence the opinion of the kids to like or even dislike a subject. Disseminating their opinions, kids may or may not tell other people about their own opinions. They may talk about this over breakfast with their parents, during recess with their peers and their friends and with their teachers during class discussions

It is seldom for some kids not to tell anyone about their opinions, like if they did not tell their peers, they usually share it with their best friend or their parents.

Do Their Opinions Really Matter? Yes. They may be still young and inexperienced about how the things work but kids need to be shown that what they think matters to other people. Especially from their family and the people they consider a part of their lives.

When we listen to kids about their opinions, they will feel cared, loved and confident in what they can do.

Their School/College Kids opinions varies. But still they are influenced by the people who surround them and what they see or hear in the newspapers, televisions or the internet.

At their age, they think mostly of school/college as a necessity to become what they want to be in the future. A place where they could meet friends and learn new things. In religion, kids think that this is important because being able to learn about God and his teachings brings you closer to Him and you will become a better person. Usually about politics, kids just like or dislike something or someone based on what they would normally hear from their parents, neighbors or what they can see on television news reports.

Do Parents Really Listen To Their Kid’s Ideas and Opinions?

Their busy schedules from work and at the duties at home makes the parents tired and neglect what the kids are trying to tell them. And this was the cause of some problem kids have in society.

So today, parents are doing their best in trying to give time and listen to their kids. Be it a small issue or a problem or just having time talking about anything with their kids. The parents now know that by listening to their kid’s ideas and opinions, they can advise them and encourage them to do better. To strive for what they believe or what they want to reach in the future.