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Encourage your child’s curiosity at every age level
To be curious is to have the de-
ƐŝƌĞƚŽĮŐƵƌĞŽƵƚŽƌƚŽƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚ͕
to be eager to learn or to know. All
children are born with this qual-
ity. Indeed, curiosity is necessary
to survival. Babies are constantly
ĞdžƉůŽƌŝŶŐ͘ŚŝůĚƌĞŶŽŌĞŶĂƐŬĞŶĚ-
ůĞƐƐƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͘dŚĞLJůĞĂƌŶďĞĐĂƵƐĞ
they are curious. A curious, learn-
ŝŶŐĐŚŝůĚŽŌĞŶĞǀŽůǀĞƐŝŶƚŽĂƐĞůĨͲ
ĞĚƵĐĂƟŶŐĂĚƵůƚ͘/ƚŝƐĂƋƵĂůŝƚLJĂŶĚĂ
value that can add enormously to a
ĨƵůĮůůŝŶŐůŝĨĞ͘
,ĂƌƌŝĞƚ,ĞĂƚŚ͕WŚ͕͘͘ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ-
mental psychologist and author of
“Using Your Values to Raise Your
Child to Be an Adult You Admire,”
says parents can deliberately
nurture or discourage curiosity in
their children. The basis for curios-
ity is basically “an awareness of
the details in one’s environment
and an understanding of how they
ƌĞůĂƚĞƚŽĞĂĐŚŽƚŚĞƌ͕͟ƐĂLJƐ,ĞĂƚŚ͘
She points out that parents can use
a child’s curiosity to help her learn
countless things she needs for a
successful life.
On the other hand, parents can
Durk V. Irwin, D.M.D. P.C.
BRACES FOR CHILDREN & ADULTS
2237 SW Court Ave.
541.276.7819
3DUHQWLQJ
Tip
understanding that a round peg
ǁŝůůĮƚŝŶƚŽĂƌŽƵŶĚŚŽůĞͿĂŶĚůĞƚ
her experiment with how things
work. Use discipline techniques
that help her understand cause
ĂŶĚĞīĞĐƚ͘
ͻ Preschooler:ŽŶƟŶƵĞĂƐĨŽƌƚŚĞ
toddler. Take note of his inter-
ĞƐƚƐĂŶĚďƵŝůĚŽŶƚŚĂƚǁŝƚŚĮĞůĚ
trips, books, and the Internet.
Change your focus as you see his
interests change.
ORTHODONTIST
Pendleton
also destroy curiosity by not allow-
ing their child to explore, by over-
ƐƟŵƵůĂƟŶŐŚĞƌǁŝƚŚƚŽŽŵƵĐŚƚŽ
explore, by not allowing her to ex-
plore at her own pace, and even by
not reinforcing that she has learned
ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐĨƌŽŵŚĞƌĞdžƉůŽƌĂƟŽŶ͘
Hermiston
dirwin@irwinorthodontics.com 1060 W. Elm, Suite 135
541.567.2662
Initial Exam Free • 1-800-962-7038 • Se Habla Español
ƌ͘,ĞĂƚŚŽīĞƌƐŝĚĞĂƐĂŶĚƟƉƐ
for teaching and preserving curios-
ŝƚLJŝŶĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶĂƚĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚĂŐĞƐĂŶĚ
stages.
ͻ Baby:/ŶĨĂŶƚƐƐĂƟƐĨLJƚŚĞŝƌĐƵƌŝŽƐ-
ity through their senses. Give
baby things to look at, reach
out for and manipulate. Let him
touch your face, hair, and body.
Give a crawling baby safe space
to explore, inside and outside.
Since babies immediately begin
learning language at birth, talk
ƚŽŚŝŵĂůůƚŚĞƟŵĞĂďŽƵƚǁŚĂƚ
he is experiencing.
ͻ Toddler: Allow your toddler to
ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞƚŽĞdžƉůŽƌĞĂŶĚŽīĞƌ
her even more and new op-
ƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͘>ĞƚŚĞƌƐƚƌƵŐŐůĞƚŽ
ĮŐƵƌĞŽƵƚŚŽǁƚŽĚŽƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ
;ĨŽƌĞdžĂŵƉůĞ͕ƚŽĚĚůĞƌƐďĞŶĞĮƚ
ũƵƐƚĂƐŵƵĐŚďLJĮŐƵƌŝŶŐŽƵƚ
ƚŚĂƚĂƐƋƵĂƌĞƉĞŐǁŽŶ͛ƚĮƚŝŶƚŽ
a round hole as they do from
ͻ School-age: ŽŶƟŶƵĞĞdžƉůŽƌŝŶŐ
with your child and show her
ŚŽǁƚŽĮŶĚĂŶƐǁĞƌƐƚŽŚĞƌƋƵĞƐ-
ƟŽŶƐ͘ŝƐĐƵƐƐǁŚĂƚƐŚĞůĞĂƌŶƐ
with her. Be aware of what is
happening in her school and
how she responds to it. Many
schools are excellent sources of
encouragement and assistance,
ďƵƚƐŽŵĞĐĂŶƐƟŇĞĐƵƌŝŽƐŝƚLJǁŝƚŚ
dull lessons and rigid curricula.
Be your child’s advocate for
ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶƐ͘
Provide and support outside
interests for her.
ͻ Teenager:,ĞƐŚŽƵůĚďĞĂďůĞ
ƚŽĂƐŬƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐĂŶĚĚĞǀĞůŽƉĂ
ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐLJĨŽƌĮŶĚŝŶŐĂŶƐǁĞƌƐĂďŽƵƚ
ŝƐƐƵĞƐƚŚĂƚĂƌĞƐƚƌĂŝŐŚƞŽƌǁĂƌĚ͘,Ğ
ŵĂLJďĞĂƐŬŝŶŐƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐĨŽƌǁŚŝĐŚ
there are no answers yet and may
ďĞŐŝŶƚŽƚŚŝŶŬĂďŽƵƚŐĞƫŶŐƚŚĞ
ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝnjĞĚƐŬŝůůƐŶĞĞĚĞĚĨŽƌĮŶĚ-
ing those answers (i.e., college or
other training).
________
^ƚŽƌLJƌĞƉƌŝŶƚĞĚǁŝƚŚƉĞƌŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ
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