Dear Ronnie,
Are you ever confronted with the following? If so, experiment with these responses.
Child: “WHY DO I HAVE TO LEARN THIS? I’M NEVER GOING TO NEED IT.”
Possible Adult Response #1.
“Every time your brain is learning something new it starts running faster so you can learn the things you want to learn easier. Thanks for asking.”Possible Adult Response #2.
“Learning things you don’t want to learn grows the brain so that all other things are easier to learn. Thanks for asking.”
Possible Adult Response #3.
“If you don’t figure out why by the time you master this, ask me that question again.”
Child: “IT’S TOO HARD, I CAN’T DO IT.”
Possible Adult Response #1.
“Aren’t you glad I don’t believe that?”
Possible Adult Response #2.
“Wouldn’t it be sad if I believed that?”
Possible Adult Response #3.
“Nice try. Let me know when you are finished.”
One of the guiding concepts that has served as a pillar of the Love and Logic philosophy is, “I don’t become what I think I can. I don’t become what you think I can. I become what I think you think I can.”
You might want to check out Love and Logic’s audio CD, “Winning the Homework Battle.”
Thanks for reading and considering,
Jim Fay
Sharp Responses for the Perplexing
