Since my kids were never in the box, it wasn’t too hard for them to get out of it. I’ve always been a bit quirky. I never was truly on the same page with anyone. Thankfully, I’ve now found a partner who’s just as unconventional as I am. Why would you want your kids to become free thinkers? Well, not everyone who thinks outside the box is crazy. In fact, it can be a very admirable quality.
Free thinkers are catalysts for change. It’s been said many times before. Look at Einstein. His teachers thought he would never amount to anything. Written off at a young age, he went on to change the world. Why? Because he refused to let conventional thinking rule his world. He was thinking outside the box before there was such a term. Raising unconventional kids increases the chance of inspiration creeping into their minds. You could have the next genius living right in your house.
Conventional thinkers are stifled. They tread the path of least resistance. They keep doing what’s already been done because in their minds, it works. In reality, if we all did things exactly the same way using the same thought process, nothing new or exciting would ever happen. We’d all just be crawling through life on our hands and knees, subservient to the powers that be. Let me just say, that’s not good enough for me or my kids and grand-kids. That’s not how life should be.
Life should be an adventure. It should be about exploring new options. Like the Starship Enterprise, we should ” Boldly go where no man has gone before”. What’s more, we should do that on a daily basis. Our whole lives should be spent dreaming and doing exactly what we want to do, when we want to do it. We should not only be free thinkers, we should be free doers and raise our kids to be the same. Who cares what other people think? Teach your kids to get out there, live and let live.
Teach kids not to label everything. I mentioned the Starship Enterprise. Some of you have already labeled me a Trekkie. I like the show but I’ve never been the groupie type. Nope, not a Trekkie. Not even sure if I spelled it right. Do we always have to name and categorize everything? Can we just simply be? Can we stop sticking everyone into neat little groups? You can’t organize people this way. People are multifaceted beings. At least they are if they’ve been encouraged to expand their horizons.
Show your kids all possible options. Exposing kids to a variety of interests and information makes them more likely to be free thinking individuals. Don’t forget to climb outside the box yourself on occasion. It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily business of living. Take a fresh look at the world. Go someplace you’ve never been. Learn something outside your realm of interests. Make constant changes in your life. Change makes life worthwhile.
Your job is not your life. When someone asks you what you do, resist the urge to respond with your occupation. Respond with your other interests and activities instead. If you don’t have any, get some. Put your job last. Yes, it gives you money. Yes, you need money to survive in this world. Still, your job should not define you. It’s what you do for a living, not who you are. Maybe, just maybe, if you define yourself by something other than your job, your kids will see you the same way.
Give your kids hope for an interesting life. Be an inspiration. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Show good character, not conformity. Reach out to the less fortunate. Reach out to the fortunate too. Just because they have money, doesn’t mean they’re undeserving of compassion. Want your kids to think outside the box? Bust that sucker wide open and live like there’s no tomorrow.
More from Jaipi:
Advice from Your Grown Kids: Should You Listen?
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Kids Growing Up Too Fast? Why Let Them?