Pandemic Poses Challenge to Parents in Children's Talent Development: Expert

TEMPO.CO, Semarang - Developing children's talents amid the COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge for parents, as children needed to meet several people for that, while the government’s distance restrictions were enforced to prevent spread, stated Practitioner Andri Fajria.

"The strategy to develop the children's talents is with 3B. Children need to interact with many people, have a lot of activities, and conduct various activities," Fajria noted through a WhatsApp conversation with ANTARA on Wednesday.

The founder of Tangerang's Sekolah Alam highlighted this strategy while answering questions pertaining to the development of children's talents amid the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted the government to implement distance learning to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission, especially to children.

With distance learning that restricts children from direct interaction with large numbers of people and brings them closer to devices, kids tend to play games, thereby hindering their talent development process.

Since games on devices can encumber efforts to develop the talent of children, their playing time should be limited each day.

"Parents with the ability to spot children's talents can choose activities that align with their strengths," according to the author of the book Building a Talent Awareness Family and Talents Observation.

Fajria, who is concurrently a talent observer, expounded that talent is an active genetic expression influenced by the father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, and predecessors.

Fajria expounded that the potential for children's talents encompassed their hobbies engaged in with great fun and ease, and the results are considered good by others. In addition, talent is apparent from the character and roles that most often appear in children's daily activities.

Children's potential talents are not only limited to physical activities but also actions that reflect their character.

"Moreover, analytical skills are required to identify the children's talents pertaining to their character," he remarked.

He pointed to children having more than one talent. It can be demonstrated from the possibility of every individual selecting several professions that match their combination of talents and in accordance with the opportunities.

"Not being gifted in an activity does not mean that you cannot do that activity," he affirmed.

Read: Remote Learning; Tips for Working Parents to Motivate Children

ANTARA