Parental Helps For Smart Kids
I was talking with a friend about her twin 1yr-old cousins. I told her that I'd have no problem with them as I'm a personal who generally has a pretty easy time with kids (its weird more than anything). In telling her how I'd take care of them, I realized that my thinking on parenting is a lot different than I perceived it to be. Being a kid who asked a lot of 'why' questions, much of what I know has been predicated on discovery, observation, and experimentation. After reading this article on raising smart kids (via Slashdot), I can see how that understanding of how I create intelligence can help or hinder my own kids.
As I read this article though, I am astounded at my own mindset as it relates to work and how I do things. So many times I chalk up things to "I didn't know it, so it doesn't concern me" rather than take the opportunity to learn it and really make it of a benefit to more than just myself. A sign of true intelligence seems to be a bit more than what this article is suggesting; not just the ability to see and persevere, but to see, fail, persevere to success, and empower others to do the same.
Thinking about that time when I will be a parent, I have to keep in mind that my lessons and example to them have to be fuller than "just an example." I have to encourage them to find God's plotted path for them, and then to take that path into something that makes the lives of others better. To make them better off than me, if you will, means making sure that they have the right view of intelligence, and how they should respond to culture because of it.
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Great thing said here:
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There's a lot more to this article that I need to process. But a lot of it is blatant and clear. To get rid of the mindset of failure, I have to dwell not on the good outcome, but the good effort. That effort is what empowers others to do better for themselves, and gives them a better picture of what it means to be really smart.
As I read this article though, I am astounded at my own mindset as it relates to work and how I do things. So many times I chalk up things to "I didn't know it, so it doesn't concern me" rather than take the opportunity to learn it and really make it of a benefit to more than just myself. A sign of true intelligence seems to be a bit more than what this article is suggesting; not just the ability to see and persevere, but to see, fail, persevere to success, and empower others to do the same.
Thinking about that time when I will be a parent, I have to keep in mind that my lessons and example to them have to be fuller than "just an example." I have to encourage them to find God's plotted path for them, and then to take that path into something that makes the lives of others better. To make them better off than me, if you will, means making sure that they have the right view of intelligence, and how they should respond to culture because of it.
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Great thing said here:
...We found that intelligence praise encouraged a fixed mind-set more often than did pats on the back for effort. Those congratulated for their intelligence, for example, shied away from a challenging assignment—they wanted an easy one instead—far more often than the kids applauded for their effort. (Most of those lauded for their hard work wanted the difficult problem set from which they would learn.) When we gave everyone hard problems anyway, those praised for being smart became discouraged, doubting their ability. And their scores, even on an easier problem set we gave them afterward, declined as compared with their previous results on equivalent problems. In contrast, students praised for their effort did not lose confidence when faced with the harder questions, and their performance improved markedly on the easier problems that followed...Just a wow and very revealing moment for me. I see my youth in both of those mindsets, but the fixed one moreso than the growth mindset. Granted, there are areas where I am either one or the other, but largely, I see that the culture I was a part of for a very long time had/has that fixed mindset that really does styme any kinds of upward movement. Remembering again that I am down here for more than just me, I see who I've had to grow.
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There's a lot more to this article that I need to process. But a lot of it is blatant and clear. To get rid of the mindset of failure, I have to dwell not on the good outcome, but the good effort. That effort is what empowers others to do better for themselves, and gives them a better picture of what it means to be really smart.
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