This week, thousands of parents are getting ready for a new school year.
Backpacks are packed.
Lunchboxes are ready.
New shoes are waiting by the door.
It’s an exciting season.
But before your child walks into school this year, I’d love to leave you with one thought.
Your goal isn’t simply to raise a good student.
It’s to raise a thinker.
Those aren’t always the same thing.
Schools teach incredible things.
- Reading.
- Writing.
- Math.
- Science.
- History.
But home is where children learn something equally important.
- How to think.
- How to wonder.
- How to ask questions.
- How to solve problems.
- How to trust their own ideas.
That’s why what happens after school matters just as much as what happens during school.
The Shift
This year…
Instead of asking…
What did you learn today?
Try asking…
What surprised you today?
or
What problem did you solve today?
or
What made you curious?
Those questions tell your child:
Thinking matters.
Not just answers.
Kid-Directed Projects
One of the easiest ways to help children practice thinking is through projects.
Not projects where every step is planned.
Projects where they make decisions.
Solve problems.
Try ideas.
Change their minds.
That’s why we love Kid-Directed Projects.
The project isn’t the goal.
Thinking is.
School prepares children for tests.
Life asks different questions.
This year…
Let’s help our kids practice answering those.
Leave a Reply