teach your kids
This was of thinking only serves to alienate the other side of equation and if there’s no signs of movement towards the middle ground, then the ‘other side’ begin to feel powerless and either become totally apathetic or resort to drastic action in order to be ‘heard’!
At a more personal level, if we want our children to be successful leaders of the future, they will need to feel good about being wrong. This is the first step towards growth, because it means that what you thought was the right way of thinking or doing something, is no longer, because you have found something that works better.
Ultimately it’s the outcome that counts, and like all successful businesses, they go with the flow, they change when it’s obvious that there is a new and better way of doing something, they are results driven and what’s working is the only thing that matters (AirBnB being a prime example of this- see this video for their story).[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”so how to teach our kids?” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23ce879f” google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Below we have listed 5 themes (with several different ways) that we can teach our children to be open to being wrong- choose one that fits your family and give it a whirl- you might just end up helping to save the world!
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Do something differently:
Pick something that you do as a family that is routine, and do it differently. Walk/ Bus somewhere instead of driving, change the weekend routine- anything. Ask the kids what was good about the change, what worked and what didn’t, how they could improve it next time. A practical way of demonstrating that just because you have developed a way of doing something doesn’t mean to say that there aren’t other ways.
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Have an ARGUMENT:
Have a real one or take a news topic and divide into 2 teams, think of 5 reasons each why your position is right and then put forward your arguments. Afterwards, discuss which of the opposition’s points was the most persuasive and why. This is also a really cool argument game- based on real life Supreme Court cases. Or you could go to Debate.org, choose an interesting subject and discuss what people on both sides of the argument have written.
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Experience different cultures:
Finding out first-hand that other people do things differently to you, helps you to appreciate other people and their point of view. So, go abroad on holiday (or long weekend) and experience another culture up close and personal. If that’s tricky, sample a totally new cuisine (visit a restaurant or get the kids to help you buy and cook an alien dish). Watch a foreign language film (cinema or netflix), visit a local cultural centre, or a part of town where different nationalities live/meet. Start learning a new language for free, talk to your neighbour- ask them about their life and where they’ve been, watch a documentary on different cultures, eras, etc…
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Get CURIOUS:
A curious mind is one that is always asking questions, one that is more receptive to new information and new ideas. Reading is a brilliant way to harness this attitude- start bedtime earlier and use the spare time to get the kids to read. Kids don’t like reading? Fire their imagination with a free audiobook. Visit a museum or an art gallery at the weekend.
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Do YOUR bit:
Do you reward or punish making mistakes (read this if it’s the latter)? Encourage/ let them try new hobbies and activities (even if it’s the 20th new one this year). Tell them about personal experiences of you changing your mind over something. When you make a mistake, tell them what you did, how you felt and how you dealt with it. Let them solve their own problems (don’t step in no matter how tempting it may be), they will develop their own resources and problem-solving strategies. Ask questions yourself, do some internet searching together, watch documentaries together- be curious yourself, they will learn from you.
