Share your tips on encouraging your children to learn new skills with the England and Wales Cricket Board - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

As we know, children are constantly acquiring new skills and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are now launching their All Stars Cricket initiative, to ensure that children are learning sport and social skills across the UK. To help celebrate this, they’d love to hear your tips on how you encourage your DCs to always be learning new skills.

Here’s what the ECB have to say: ‘All Stars Cricket is a brand new initiative from the England and Wales Cricket Board aimed at providing children aged 5 to 8 with a great first experience in cricket. The programme is delivered across England and Wales at over 1,500 fully accredited All Stars Cricket centres. It is a fun and active way to develop your child’s skills, and through our 8-week programme they will learn lots – as well as make new friends – in a safe and inclusive environment. All girls and boys are welcome, and each registered child will receive a pack of cricket goodies including a cricket bat, ball, backpack, water bottle, personalised shirt and cap to keep so that they can continue their love of cricket when they go home.’

So how do you inspire your DC to start learning a new skill, and make sure they persevere and don’t give up? Do you make sure your kids join teams and group activities where they can be motivated by their peers? Or maybe they’re encouraged to keep trying by you always making sure to attend their events and competitions?

Whatever your techniques for making your kids feel like they can do anything if they keep practicing, share them with ECB in the thread below for your chance to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

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We went along to see a panto, and DC, 3 said she wanted to have a go at dancing lessons, we took her along, and she loves it, there's no pressure for her to carry on if she does not want to, but she's also doing ballet now as well, as long as she's happy so are we for her to carry on. :)

I am not sure that there is anything that you can do if you child thinks that his after school classes are boring.I believe that child need to love and enjoy what he is doing only then he can reach stars.When I suggest my son that he need to try something new his usual reaction is phew...
I always encourage my son to give it a try as without trying how he can know that he dislike something.

I think the "Secret" has to be for your child to develop a love of what they're doing, so they are motivated to continue, and therefore improve their skills without it seeming like hard work.

We try as many activities as possible, some stick & others don't! Before committing to an expensive outlay DC (and us) have to be sure they're happy to stick with it though! There's a budget so they can't have all expensive hobbies either!

We are an active family who enjoys lots of outdoor pursuits. When we need to stick to something that may be a bit difficult we say our little motto... 'Quitters never win and winners never quit'.....it's a nice little phrase he learnt at school and keeps us striving to persevere whenever we feel like just giving up and heading for the sofa with the biscuit tin.

I praise my DC if they learn new skills and remember how to do them correctly next time. We have joined after school clubs and I value them equally as I do academic success.

I praise my DC if they learn new skills and remember how to do them correctly next time. We have joined after school clubs and I value them equally as I do academic success.

I encourage them to try new things and help & support them as much as possible. I try to say it's about the taking part and not necessarily the winning or being particularly good at something - though this is hard with DS who is soooo competitive!!
I take both DC to clubs/ groups I think they will like and encourage them to join in as much as possible, having fun & a good time.

Gentle encouragement and reminding my children that they can do things.. e.g. Remember when you weren't able to swim? Now look how far you've progressed you can swim 25m! I find that explanation and reminders of their past glories spurs them into new adventures!

Encourage after school activities. Mine do between them swimming, football, dancing & gymnastics

I try to be a good role model and let my kids see me try new activities with a smile. I'm not afraid to look silly in front of them, and more importantly teach them that you can't be goodbye at everything straight away.
I also support the in new endeavours, not just by attending events and practice but talking about the subject at home.
I know more about Man City then I need too

I've always encouraged my DD and DS to take up opportunities and take part in everything which has captured their enthusiasm. They are both black belt in karate, DD has enjoyed both ballet and Irish dancing throughout childhood and teens, DS has enjoyed skate-boarding and uni-cycling.
We've enjoyed going swimming fairly often as a family.
DS also plays trumpet, cornet and ukulele, and DD plays the flute, which they enjoy playing in various bands too.

For me sport is mainly about keeping active and being fit, I'm not as keen on the overly competitive element.
I also feel there are other things they may want to pursue, such as music or academic or social interests.

But my tip for encouraging my children to learn new skills is to be on the look-out for interesting opportunities in your area, tell them about it enthusiastically, ask if they'd like to try it, and to be positive when they express an interest in trying something new.

I provide them with the means to learn the new skill, such as regular lessons, along with encouragement and support - but always checking htey are enjoying the experience and that they are doing it because they want to!

My 3 all love football and cricket, as do DH and I, so they all play competitively. DS2 gave up football for a while, we didn't make a big deal of it and he went back to it this season
DD plays cricket all the time, like Checkpoint Charlie's!! She is captaining the county this year and the sense of pride and accomplishment is fabulous! The disappointment when she's not played so well if heartbreaking but she's never wanted to give up. If any of them did, then they would.
I let them try anything if we have time to squeeze it in!

We let them try lots of things, taking advantage of taster days and offers. Showing lots of interest and praise for effort