When Smallsteps gets home from school, I make her some food and then we generally spend the time we eat together talking about the day, which runs into various conversations about possibly anything. Today, she asked me what I write about and where I put it, as she sees me write often. This led into a discussion about what kinds of things are interesting to write about and what is interesting to learn. We have tried to encourage her to do more than she consumes and be curious enough about her world to question it.
No stupid questions?
I am not so sure about that.
Because I think when people ask questions that they could know the answer to with a little thought, it is pretty stupid. I have been trying to get my daughter to slow down and do the thinking before looking for the answer externally, because the process of problem-solving isn't innate - it takes practice. If we aren't even able to develop the answers to the things we are able to think through easily, the chances of us being able to think deeply to solve complex issues, is highly unlikely.
Smallsteps asks some stupid questions sometimes.
It is part of being a kid, because kids can be pretty lazy when it comes to doing the work when they needn't. When she knows someone already has the answer, she will often ask for it instead of find out for herself. And while that might seem "smart" to some, it is something I believe would cost her ability to critically think in the future, as it has for many of the people who have grown up and rely heavily on google support. And when young people have grown up with the answer at their fingertips their entire lives, they have often failed to learn the processes to discover the answers for themselves. Their brains are underdeveloped, because they haven't exercised them.
I reckon at some point it will be possible to tell the difference between a brain raised on screens and one raised through practical experience. Perhaps it already is so. But I suspect that the people who are the most successful in the future, aren't going to be the ones who are unable to critically think well enough to create solutions. The people who have always had the answer at their fingertips handed to them on a digital platter, instead of making the journey of discovery themselves.
The more answers provided, the less skill people own.
As I was talking about stories with my daughter, we discussed how a good story doesn't have to be factual or real, but it can still connect with real experiences. In my opinion, a good story helps me develop in some way, not just entertains me enough to take up some time space in my life. I want to learn something that challenges me enough that it changes me for the better, even if only slightly. It isn't enough to just make me think, if it doesn't lead me to adjustment.
Technically, we can learn something useful from any kind of experience, but that is also a pretty indiscriminate way to learn. Instead, I reckon we should be a little more discerning with the content we consume, because as far as our bodies work, we are what we eat. We tend to replicate and repeat what we surround ourselves with and it is the stories we build from our environment that guide our behaviours. If we want to change something in our life, it is far, far easier to design our environment to support the change. Transversally, if we want to change something in our lives but surround ourselves with stimuli that doesn't support the change, we are likely to struggle.
My daughter is a pretty good story teller when she puts her mind to it and she gave me an overview of a couple that she has written recently, and I found it interesting. Her stories are clever, and funny, but what stands out the most is that there is a sense of irony in them, even though she doesn't know what that is or include it intentionally. They are mini Greek tragedies, where the protagonist tries and fails, to comedic effect.
And they are wholesome.
After our meal, she went up to her room and disappeared for a couple hours, while I was doing a little work and trying to train our puppy, which is fast becoming a tragedy for the ages in and of itself. When I called her down, I enquired to her activity assuming she was listening to an audiobook and playing, but instead she was writing stories. She has been writing on and off for a while now, but in the last few months she has been becoming more curious about it, and creativity in general.
We have talked about facets off it often, but I feel that the creative force is starting to awaken in her where she is looking to test and develop her own ideas, whether through words on the page, conversation, or notes on the piano. She is developing her own voice. It is impossible to tell what she will do in the future, but I have a feeling that she will learn a lot along the way, and others will too.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Be part of the Hive discussion.
- Comment on the topics of the article, and add your perspectives and experiences.
- Read and discuss with others who comment and build your personal network
- Engage well with me and others and put in effort
And you may be rewarded.
I remember trying to write stories when I was younger but I felt like everything I was writing was just something I had already seen or heard or read. I didn't feel like anything was original, so I eventually gave up. I chalk that up to my own lack of creativity though.
Not sure if it is a lack of creativity, or too much input. I think that if we consume too much without experiencing enough between, our experience becomes what we consume - if that makes sense. And if we aren't encouraged to really question the world we do experience, we might not build the stories from what we live either.
I think that could be accurate, though I don't think it applies fully to me. What I mean is, I have definitely consumed a lot of input and I have a mind that seems to hold onto a lot of random facts, but I have also spent a lot of time outside of "media" which a lot of people can't say. I guess I just absorb the world in all forms. Or at least I used to when I was younger.
In our house we have a saying "Monkey See, Monkey Do" which basically means that our daughter is always watching us and picking stuff up from us. So Smallsteps have been seeing you write and she is writing now too :)
My dad would say that to us too! I think I even wrote an article about many years ago :)
She is a monkey.
The way we nurture our kids is important. Just raising with your presence is not enough, we should spend enough time with them and make them understand about practicality of life. Not everything seen on screen is true. I firmly belive you are a good Dad, making sure your kids grow with right grooming ❤️ kids needs guidance and care...they will come out with their own creativity...it is always good never to ignore their curiosity...
I reckon it is a parent's job to ensure kids have a variety of experience plus the space to explore. I think a lot of the tine in western countries, the effort is put on filling the kid's schedule, rather than helping them build their world.
You've only had him for a couple weeks, and he's still a baby! You've got this. I have no doubt you will be as great a dog daddy as you are a daddy to smallsteps.
He'll be fine. Far more "bitey" than previous puppies. The last couple days I have had some decent inroads though. :)
I love how you encourage active curiosity at Smallsteps. In a world of quick answers, teaching her to value the process of discovery and critical thinking is an invaluable gift. Seeing her “creative force” awaken through her own stories and the piano is truly inspiring. Blessings!
I think one of the best parts of being a parent is seeing the kids develop their own style.
Children are very curious. They ask their parents a lot of questions about everything they see around them and try to find answers through those questions. Smallsteps asks you to learn about various things like your writing and what you write about and where you write. One thing we all should do, like you, is to let children think slowly and try to find answers from the real world around them.
I think you are helping Smallsteps in building crucial skills that will serve her well for the rest of her life by motivating her to investigate and ask questions.
Children are like an intentional machine that express curiosity, observation when necessary but might seems they don't posses those attributes, what they found out which makes them happy they plug to it.
I reckon at some point it will be possible to tell the difference between a brain raised on screens and one raised through practical experience.
This is so true, there was someone who said the most expensive set of cars and luxuries ain't bought by individual who watch's TV but rather the business mindset people. So in reference to your write up, Kids raise with so much TV shows tends to lack exposure and the reality of the outside world. @tarazkp
I once watched a video of a man who walked over a rope and his toddler son wanted to walked through the ropes but couldn't. The man didn't help, he allowed his son to figure it out, which he eventually did, after struggling and crying, and crossed the ropes.
That's the right way to raise kids, and not spoon-feeding them. But rather giving them responsibilities, allowing them to tackle challenges on their own, and only stepping in as parents, if the problems are more than they can tackle on their own.
Many problems most adults are facing today can be traced back to bad parenting.