At Shichida, we often tell parents: “When you can engage your child’s heart, you can engage their mind.”

Think about your own learning journey – wasn’t there a subject you excelled in because of an emotional connection? Maybe it was your favourite teacher, a topic that grabbed your interest, or simply the joy of learning alongside your friends.

One of the most important aspects of parenting is what we call “Education of the Heart.” A child’s heart guides their abilities, and nurturing it starts with love. Before worrying about what your child can or can’t do – or focusing on discipline – prioritise building a relationship of trust. Building a strong parent-child bond is crucial to your child’s journey in life.

A child’s heart is filled with joy when parents show genuine excitement for their efforts, responding with love, praise, and acceptance. When children feel deeply loved and supported, they begin to trust completely, develop self-control, and naturally align with your guidance.

Tips for Learning and Bonding with Your Child

1. Participate, Don’t Just Watch!

Whenever you’re attending an activity with your child, join in and experience it together.

Don’t just sit back and watch – be part of the fun! Whether you’re at a play centre, a music class, or a Shichida class where you and your child are a team, your presence and participation make a difference. When you’re actively engaged, it changes the experience from just an activity into a shared and memorable moment.

2. Turn Everyday Tasks into Learning Opportunities

Life gets busy, but wherever possible, involve your child in everyday tasks – it’s a great way to bond while helping them learn.

• Shopping as a learning experience: Sure, you could grab six oranges in five seconds, but why not spend one minute counting together? Let your child place each orange in the bag while counting out loud. This simple activity helps them understand that “six” isn’t just a number – it represents a real quantity.
• Mealtime as a shared experience: While cooking, set up a toddler table or highchair nearby so your child can “prepare” their own meal alongside you. Use toy food or play-doh and chat about the colours, shapes, and textures of the ingredients. Preschoolers can help set the table by counting out cutlery – learning disguised!

3. Read Together and Build Their Imagination

Even when kids can read on their own, they still love snuggling up for story time. Make reading interactive – change the ending, create new characters, or act out scenes together. Encouraging their imagination makes books come to life and turns reading into an adventure your child will remember.

4. Play and Learn Together at the Playground

When you’re at the playground, be more than just a mere spectator – join in!

Slide down together, push them on the swing, or even challenge yourself on the monkey bars. These moments aren’t just about movement; they’re opportunities for learning. Talk about how the slide is slippery, how the swing moves back and forth, or how the monkey bars require strength and coordination. Expanding their vocabulary through play makes learning easier.

Most importantly, your presence means everything. When learning happens naturally through play and time spent with you, it doesn’t feel like a lesson – it feels like love. These moments become cherished childhood memories, and the best part? They won’t even realise they were learning!

Learn Together with Shichida

At Shichida, we believe that learning should be fun, engaging, and full of meaningful moments. When children enjoy what they’re doing, they easily absorb knowledge – just like they do when playing with you.

In our classes, parents and children learn together as a team. Solving puzzles, exploring numbers, strengthening memory through fun brain-training activities – every experience is designed to promote curiosity and deepen the parent-child bond.

Just like playtime at home or at the playground, Shichida learning feels natural. Kids don’t even realise they’re developing critical skills – they just know they’re having a great time with you by their side, learning together.

So, why not join a trial class and help your child play and learn? You and your child will love it!