^{Photo by Anna Shvets}

The book by Caroleann Rice, The Song of Solomon the Snail, is the perfect means for children to learn the importance of problem-solving. The book shows that everyone can solve problems by themselves.

Whether work-related or as simple as losing things at home, problems come and go daily. For adults, this is a typical occurrence. It’s almost second nature for us to experience problems and find resolutions. We don’t need much time processing them. It comes with experience, the ability to encounter an issue, and nearly jumping into autopilot to solve it.

However, it’s an entirely different experience with children. They don’t encounter problems and immediately find solutions to settle them. Often, they may even fail to recognize a problem when they come across one. Even though they’re generally assisted in their activities and pampered at this stage, children still face many issues they need to solve by themselves. From answering their math homework to resolving the hassle of juggling school and extracurricular activities, there are things children are left by themselves to handle and work out.

If there’s one thing the book The Song of Solomon The Snail by Caroleann Rice teaches children and parents, it’s the significance of problem-solving in our lives. And while it can be debated whether children can handle solving problems by themselves, the story highlights that everyone, even children, can solve problems and overcome struggles.

The book is about a snail called Solomon, who seeks help and answers from his trusted friend, the Wondrous Voice of Love. His friend lives in his house Solomon carries on his back. Readers familiar with the anatomy of a snail may question who the character talks with whenever he retracts back to his house, knowing how snails are built. Though it’s not explicitly said in the book, this conveys how, with introspection, people can solve any problems independently.

Parents may argue about teaching children to solve problems alone when they’re there to help. Most parents fear their children will grow up too fast that they prevent them from discovering and unraveling their lives as early as childhood. There’s the nostalgia associated with their children seeking help in almost anything, and they hold unto these moments dearly.

While it’s only natural for parents to seek comfort in knowing their children need them, helping them develop problem-solving as a skill should precede this solace.

Problem-solving is a solid foundation for children’s learning capacity and general growth.

Their ability to discern a solution, even for the most minor and easiest problems, can be a stepping stone to successful development. After all, a considerable part of education involves identifying a problem and finding means to solve it.

Not to mention, life is also nothing but problem-solving itself.

We spend most of our lives solving problems; the other time, we sleep. From the moment we wake up, we’re faced with the problem of choosing the proper breakfast to fuel us for the day or picking clothes to give us the most comfort to move freely. And if we’re not left worrying about our necessities, we’re left with the problem of understanding ourselves and finding our purpose.

We move along with life through a series of trials and errors. We can only move forward if we learn from our mistakes and change our perspectives along the way.

These are only the tip of the iceberg regarding the essence of problem-solving in our lives. Hence, children who lack this skill aren’t only purchasing a one-way ticket to weaker cognitive and learning development. They may also spiral down into more behavioral and psychological problems.

Since they’ve never been exposed to handling and resolving problems alone, every difficulty they encounter will seem intimidating and overwhelming regardless of severity. Rather than putting effort into solving these, children may avoid the issues instead. While avoiding the problem can be a resolution providing comfort, this ease is only temporary. In the long run, children who avoid problems will only amass more significant problems until they can’t find a way out anymore. In most cases, this leads to them falling behind in school or struggling to maintain relationships.

In extreme cases, the frustration children feel for their unsolved problems or the feeling of unfairness for the situation they’ve fallen into may also lead to them acting rashly and illogically. Bad behavior commonly stems from poor problem-solving skills.

As they say, angry people aren’t born with that much anger. Instead, it can be caused by the circumstances they’re experiencing in life.

Often, adults see children as these naïve figures running around with fun, the sole thing on their minds. Most people perceive children as unable to live and get through life’s ups and downs by themselves. But with the proper assistance, they can learn to handle life independently with the power of problem-solving.