Our job as parents, as well as provide care and address the needs of our children, is to prepare them for life. To promote their autonomy and educate them emotionally, it will reach the outside world better prepared.
But in addition to these important skills, we must also teach them to develop critical thinking. I share why it is important and how to do it.
The importance of thinking
When we talk about teaching our children to think, one of the first things that can come to our mind is the process that we tend to teach children to everyday actions or when it comes to memorize academic things.
And although that certainly is a very important part of their development, on this occasion the word " think " is focused towards another point : critical thinking. This is the one allows us to question, assess and analyse information that we provide.
I mean, is that process during which our mind not only read, listen or watch something, but it takes something to then think about it and, after concluding this process, take the best possible decision.
Why teach it to our children
The critical thinking is one of the major lessons we must give our children, because will teach you not to believe everything you see, you read or listen to, thereby enabling them to form their own conclusions.
One daily example and current of critical thinking can be the news we read every day. Develop critical thinking, teaches us to be able to identify the real of the false, to make cuestionemos the information we received.
This process invites children to go beyond only receive information or follow directions. We don't care about our son say always that a yes or which is absolutely everything.
I'll teachto avoid taking decisions impulsivas or believe blindly in something. With him, razonarán and people with logic, judging the different situations or circumstances appropriately.
How to teach critical thinking to our children
But critical thinking can sound complex or sophisticated, but in reality is something we can begin to prática with our children from an early age. These are some ways in whichwe can apply it in the day to day:
It encourages curiosity
Children are curious by nature : they are hungry to know everything about the world around them. But we can always give them a hand and encourage even more your curiosity.
Make him questions you ask to think more in certain situations, including the most ordinary, as the time to prove or eat a fruit :You know where they come from apples? You can talk about the whole process for the fruit to get to his hand.
Answer their questions to help you understand
The critical thinking helps us to be challenged and go further. We as parents are the first in charge to explain a lot of things to children, for what's best to do it so that they can really understand what we're saying.
Open the dialogue
When you see a movie or finish reading a book, dialogue open and invites reflection. You can ask questions like : How do you have done in the place of el/la a player? Do you think things could have been different?
Show him to use the argument
Taking the example of the previous point, we can teach them to justify their opinions with arguments. This can go from explaining why they had done the same things or different, or also, why they liked or didn't like what they saw or read.
- Tell him about the pros and cons
The critical thinking helps us to make better decisions and to analyze. A simple exercise we can do for our children to participate in this process, it is teach them about the pros and cons: why is it appropriate (or not) do something in particular?
Let me be
To many parents gives fear simply think that their children make mistakes, but we must let this happen so that they can take the valuable lessons, which leaves us making mistakes.