Your mind is like a parachute. It only works when it’s open.

Frank Zapp

In today’s world we are lucky enough to learn about and connect with other cultures and ways of life so freely.  Social media has allowed us to understand new perspectives and outlooks in abundance.  As important as it is to limit screen time for our children, it’s also vital that we allow children to connect with the positive aspects of social media to broaden their minds and horizons.  Social media is going nowhere, so as caregivers to the future generation, positive and inspiring content accessed through the internet can be a massive gift!

As our world advances technologically, so too have outdated perspectives regarding judgements and separation.  The next generation have the potential to be the most open minded in history! Being open-minded teaches children to try before they decide and to learn and listen without prejudice.

Aside from access to technology, there are many different ways to broaden your child’s mind.  This may be through getting out the world map and learning about the animals and traditions in a certain parts of the world.  Perhaps its experiencing food from a different culture every week.  In addition to learning about differences in cultures, it’s also great to stress how the currency of kindness has no limitations or language barriers.  The whole world is connected in this way.  Encouraging your child to smile at a stranger, to have compassion and care for those in need, all serve as mind opening ways to raise your child in a loving way.

Just three of the many benefits of opening your child’s mind:

Your child is able to discover new ‘favourite’ things

If your child always does the same things, eats the same foods and goes to the same places they are limited in accessing the richness of all that life has to offer.  Having favourite things which are different to others allows children to feel unique and asserts a sense of personal identity.

Your child becomes more open to new adventures and endless possibilities

Allowing children to venture out of their comfort zone early on in life allows them to be rich in life experience and exposure to different cultures and identities.  Cultivating a limitless outlook as a young child serves as an incredibly invaluable message for your child to take through life.

Able to make new, interesting friends to enrich your child’s knowledge and understanding of the world

We weren’t created to be separated.  Encouraging your child to love and respect their fellow little and large human beings from all walks of life is extremely important. Fear and judgement hold people back from embracing what is different. Strangers are just friends we haven’t met yet.  By modelling an open-minded attitude to your children, you are giving them an eternal gift which they are able to take through life, and one day they’ll be able to pass this onto their own little ones.

A wise person knows there is something to be learned from everyone and here at Great British Nannies we couldn’t agree more.