I recently stumbled upon an article on The New York Times by Adam Grant. The title “Kids, Would you Please Start Fighting?” caught my attention. According to Grant, we are neglecting to teach our children a critical skill in life, “the skill to get hot without getting mad — to have a good argument that doesn’t become personal — is critical in life. But it’s one that few parents teach to their children. We want to give kids a stable home, so we stop siblings from quarreling and we have our own arguments behind closed doors. Yet if kids never get exposed to disagreement, we’ll end up limiting their creativity.”
We come across people who we clash with based on different values, interests and attitudes. According to the article, childhood is the best time to learn how to dish it out and take it. It’s time for a kiddos to learn the value of thoughtful disagreement and find their voice and the value of their viewpoint. So, next time you find yourself biting your tongue to avoid a squabble in front of your child, think, and take the opportunity to model how to have a healthy disagreement.
For more tips on how to teach your kids this life skill (to fight), check out the article on The New York Times website.
