Are you a parent wondering about your child's learning? Enjoy this guest post from David of NeighborhoodWeek.org!
He's written guest posts for this blog before, regarding practical financial tips for surviving COVID, which you can read here, tips for starting a home-based business, which you can find here, and how college students can earn a degree without drowning in debt, which you can see here. We're glad to have him back for another guest post!
Take it away, David:
Image via Freepik
How to Grow a Wild Mind:
Keeping the Spark of Learning Alive in Your Kids
If you’re a parent, there’s a moment—usually somewhere between
multiplication tables and standardized test season—when you start
to wonder: What happened to the kid who asked a hundred questions
before breakfast? The one who wanted to know why flamingos are
pink, how clouds float, and whether a bug dreams? That bright spark
begins to dim under worksheets, pressure, and the creeping fear that
learning is something you’re either good at or not. But here’s
the secret: learning isn’t a switch that flicks off. It’s a fire,
and it just needs the right kind of tending.
Lead With Wonder, Not Worry
You don’t need to be a walking encyclopedia to nurture curiosity.
You just need to let your own wonder out of its adult cage. That
means saying things like, “I don’t know, let’s find out,”
instead of pretending to have all the answers. When you approach the
world with awe, your child learns that it’s okay—no, it’s
great—to be
fascinated by things they don’t understand yet. Your
attitude toward learning is the quiet music they dance to, even when
you think they’re not listening.
Walk the Talk With Your Own Curiosity
There’s no more powerful message you can send your child than
letting them see
you as a lifelong learner, too. Whether you’ve been
out of school for five years or fifteen, choosing to go
back—especially while balancing work and parenting—shows them
that learning doesn’t stop when diplomas are framed. Online degree
programs make it easier than ever to juggle family dinners, day jobs,
and late-night study sessions without putting life on pause. And if
you’re an RN, take
a look at how earning a master’s in nursing can open
doors in nurse education, informatics, administration, or advanced
practice—and give your income a healthy lift, too.
Let Go of the Gold Stars
The second learning becomes about approval, something important
breaks. Kids start performing instead of exploring. That drawing
becomes a way to earn praise, not an outlet for creativity. It’s a
subtle shift, but over time it teaches kids that the
goal isn’t discovery—it’s external validation.
Instead, try asking what they liked most about what they did, or what
surprised them. Show them that their own opinions matter more than
your applause.
Design for Boredom, Not Entertainment
We’re all a little too good at killing boredom with screens,
structured activities, and scheduled everything. But boredom isn’t
the enemy—it’s the beginning of creativity. When your kid says,
“I’m bored,” try not to panic or fix it. Let them marinate in
it. That quiet discomfort is often what stirs
the brain into building forts, drawing weird monsters,
or asking strange, brilliant questions about gravity or ghosts or why
cats hate cucumbers.
Give Them the Tools, Then Step Back
You don’t need to teach your child every single thing—they’re
wired to teach themselves when the conditions are right. The trick is
to create an environment where exploration is possible, and then get
out of the way. Fill the house with books, paper, LEGOs, a magnifying
glass, a bucket of water and a spoon—whatever invites
hands-on messiness. And when they dive in, resist the
urge to direct them. Just sit nearby with your coffee and watch what
unfolds.
Let Them See You Struggle
Kids learn how to learn by watching how you do it. So when you
mess up, forget something, or hit a wall—don’t hide it. Say it
out loud. “Wow, this recipe is harder than I thought,” or “I’m
really stuck on this crossword clue.” Then let them see you keep
going. Show them that learning is about persistence, frustration, and
finding your way through the weeds, not gliding effortlessly to the
right answer.
Say Yes to the Weird Interests
Your kid wants to spend three weeks obsessively learning about
sharks, or pyramids, or how cardboard boxes are made? Lean into it.
Their brain is lighting up in that “zone of genius” where
passion meets autonomy. The topic doesn’t
matter—it’s the engagement that counts. The more often you let
them follow their strange, specific fascinations, the more they learn
that curiosity is a compass they can trust.
Reframe Failure as the Best Teacher
If there’s one thing school tends to do poorly, it’s teaching
kids how to fail well. But the truth is, every great learning moment
has failure baked into it. When your child flubs a science experiment
or forgets their lines in the school play, don’t rush in with
comfort or solutions. Ask what they learned, or what they’d try
differently next time. Normalize failure not as a sign of weakness,
but as a
badge of real effort—because that’s where the
deepest learning lives.
Here’s the part we don’t say often enough: you’re
not raising a straight-A student—you’re raising a human. And if
that human leaves your home with the tools to stay curious, to learn
independently, to fall down and try again, you’ve done more than
any flashcard or phonics program ever could. The love of learning
isn’t a sprint; it’s a lifelong relationship. And like any
relationship, it needs freedom, respect, and a little bit of magic to
thrive.
Unlock
the secrets to financial success with The
Froogal Stoodent,
your go-to resource for savvy saving and investing strategies to
thrive in today’s economy!
