Family Wellness Tip

Questions are how kids, teens included, connect the dots. You are helping them understand the world. You are helping them learn how to figure stuff out. You are helping them understand how others think and feel.

Do you ever flip it on them? Do you ever ask them what they think before you answer? This is a brilliant strategy. Not to stop them from asking questions BUT to get them to think critically. This does not mean to leave them to themselves. Get their answer. Praise their process. Praise their ideas. Fill in the gaps where you can. Support and encourage them to think deeper about things before giving answers. This goes for teens, as well as littles.

Critical thinking, like growth mindset, is a learned skill. We have to encourage them to build it. Kids are given so much information and so many ideas from other people, they need to figure it all out. Does that make sense to me? Does that seem real? How do I feel about that? Is my opinion the same or different? How do I want to respond to that? These are questions that a typical adult will ask themselves very quickly. Some kids, even in their mid 20's, seem to be struggling with these days. Ask your teen or early 20-something, what do you think about that TikTok video? What do you think about those lyrics? Do you think that video game affects how kids think about things? Does this mean to not give your opinion? No, absolutely give your opinion and remember it is just that, your opinion. It is not fact. Just like their opinion and thoughts are not fact. Always remember to thank your kids for your discussion. Encourage talking in this way. Not to get them to think differently BUT to get them to think deeper.