“I Figured It Out!”: Helping Kids Become Tenacious Problem Solvers

Few things fascinate my five-year-old daughter more than ice and snow. Unfortunately for her, we live in Texas.

One day, after weeks of wishing for a winter wonderland, she poked around the kitchen drawers, looking for a solution to her problem. When she discovered that wax paper felt “slippery like ice,” her eyes lit up — she strapped some to her feet with duct tape and spent the afternoon “ice skating” on our tile floor.

Few skills will serve our children better than the ability to solve problems creatively. Agent Olive and Agent Otto from Odd Squad are delightful role models because they find challenges motivating, and they tap into their imagination and creativity to come up with solutions.

The challenges that loom large for kids might seem small to adults: How do I join a group at recess or ask a teacher for help? How do I keep my brother out of my room or convince my parents to get a dog? How do I solve this math problem or create the art that’s inside my head?

These early challenges are the source of future innovation. When kids practice problem-solving skills at an early age — and develop the tenacity to keep trying when their first solution falls flat — they will be better equipped to thrive in a rapidly-changing world. Here are four ways to nurture your child’s problem-solving skills:

All children go through a “why?” stage. While that can wear on our patience, we should be more concerned about children outgrowing their desire to understand why the world works the way it does.

Problem-solving often requires kids to search for the information they need to develop a solution; in other words, they can become researchers. You can use children’s natural curiosity to teach them research skills. In fact, one of the best responses we can give to a “why” questions is simply: “Let’s find out.” These three words tell children that you honor their curiosity and that you take their questions and interests seriously. It also shows that there are many ways to find answers, such as books, the internet, and asking experts.

From a science fair project to a social concern, when your elementary-age child comes to you with a problem, resist the urge to step in and solve it for them. Instead, help them clarify the problem and brainstorm ways they can solve it. Phrases such as these can help kids reframe challenges into opportunities:

• Tell me more about the situation.
• What have you already tried? What happened? What did you learn from that?
• What’s one thing you can try that you haven’t tried already? Let’s brainstorm a list of possibilities.
• How would so-and-so (a teacher, a classmate) describe the problem?
• If you had a magic wand, what would you do to change the situation?
• What information or skills do you need that you don’t have yet?

Tenacity is the ability to approach a task with determination and stick with a problem. It’s what gives us the strength to try, try again.

We honor and encourage our children’s tenacity when we acknowledge the hard work they put into a project, when we give them time and space to experiment, and when we don’t do for them what we know they can do for themselves. This might sound like, “You put a lot of hours into learning that song on the piano!” or “That was a challenging puzzle, but you stuck with it!”

Children who are good problem-solvers are also great observers. They take stock of the situation. They look for materials they need. They pay attention to the clues and cues around them. If your child is struggling with something, encourage them to press pause and take another look at the situation. What do they notice? Do they need to read the math problem again and look for keywords? Is their block structure missing a support beam? Do they have a friend who can collaborate with them who might have new ideas to offer?

Spending time in nature is one way to strengthen children’s observation skills. Take a nature walk and encourage them to use their five senses. What do they see? What do they hear? What do they smell? What textures are around them? What clues can they find about they types of creatures who live in the area. What do they eat? Where do they live? What “why” questions can you generate together?