Why, Dad?

Are We Raising Brainless Automatons?

Episode Summary

In this episode, Paul and Andrew dig into one of the most powerful (and often under-discussed) parenting skills: teaching our kids how to think. From silly moments like mistaking cows for horses to deeper reflections on autonomy and identity, they explore how critical thinking shows up in everyday parenting—and how easy it is to accidentally shut it down. You’ll hear personal stories, lots of questions, and practical ways to help raise thoughtful, independent kids in a world full of easy answers.

Episode Notes

In this episode, Paul and Andrew dig into one of the most powerful (and often under-discussed) parenting skills: teaching our kids how to think. From silly moments like mistaking cows for horses to deeper reflections on autonomy and identity, they explore how critical thinking shows up in everyday parenting—and how easy it is to accidentally shut it down.

You’ll hear personal stories, lots of questions, and practical ways to help raise thoughtful, independent kids in a world full of easy answers.

What We Talk About:

• Why “those are cows” might not be the best response
• The difference between teaching kids what to think vs. how to think
• Why asking questions matters more than giving answers
• How to stay curious (especially when you feel triggered)
• Using play (like checkers and chess) to build logical thinking
• The difference between opinions, beliefs, and convictions
• The value of letting kids be wrong—and figure it out for themselves

Resources & Mentions:

• Socratic Method overview (Wikipedia)
• Checkers and chess — discussed as tools for developing consequence-based decision making and critical reasoning

This Week's Challenge:

This week, try replacing one correction with a curious question. Instead of “That’s wrong,” ask, “Why do you think that?” — and see where it leads.

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