Powered Up
Think of a place that kids are usually not a fan of going to – like a dentist’s office. Yet, some of these places can become a hit with kids. Odds are they have some version of this tradition – they let kids choose a treat from a ‘treasure chest’, a ‘good trooper bin’, or something that gives them a set of options.
Having choices makes us feel powerful
It doesn’t seem to be the quality of the treat itself that brings joy. The treat is always some trinkets or stickers that can be given away in huge quantities. It seems to be the mere fact that they have a choice, that makes kids so happy. Choice can turn crappy trinkets into meaningful rewards.
It’s not just kids. Choice can make any of us euphoric over a cheap basket of tchotchkes. Ever been to a store and spent more money than you bargained for and then on the way out been offered a choice amongst ‘free gifts’. Never mind that the ‘gifts’ are things you don’t need and probably from the inventory they’re trying to get rid off. Suddenly you feel like you’ve won.
Using digital resources to make kids feel ‘powered up’
It’s not easy being a kid. It’s the life stage where everyone is up in your business (rightly so because you don’t know how to manage your business by yourself). For most, childhood represents the lowest level of power they will hold. If you’ve forgotten how it felt like to be a kid sometimes, think of a recent time you’ve felt powerless. It sucks.
Kids don’t like to feel like nothing is in their control. So giving them choice over even the most mundane things empowers them, makes cooperation more likely, and fulfills a basic human yearning. Also, it’s an important practice for kids – they’re going to have to make choices all the time as they grow up. So this week, we are calling out some of the ways in which digital uniquely sets you up to easily infuse choices into kids’ lives.
Digital helps you to give kids what they need … and what they want
As a caregiver, you want to do good in a way that feels good for you and the kid. Digital tools (like Aneta!) and the vast and varied amount of content the internet makes available to us, makes it possible for you to make sure a kid gets what they need but also what they want.
Give kids a choice of how a goal is achieved
An example from IRL makes this clear. Say you want little Kennedy to brush their teeth. “Kennedy, would you like to brush your teeth before bedtime story or after bedtime story”? See what you did there? Teeth are gonna get brushed. But Kennedy feels some power in getting to choose.
The same is true when helping kids practice a skill. They can practice on a worksheet, on a video game, via watching a video, building a puzzle etc. Digital learning resources are abundant and varied so the goal can be met in many ways. Gather up a bunch of options and let the kids choose.
Give kids a choice of which paths to explore
Search for ‘socks’ on Amazon and you’ll have more than 40,000 options. The same thing is true of topics of interest and study at every conceivable level. There is no other setting than digital that makes as many options equally accessible.
This is a prime opportunity to let your child choose and explore interests you didn’t even know existed. Pokemon drawing, space exploration, miniature cooking – the options are endless. Remember, cooperation is highest when doing something one has chosen for themselves.
Give kids a choice around where they learn
Like most burdens we carry, the idea that there is a proper place to learn used to make a lot of sense. But we forgot to dismiss the idea when it stopped being relevant. We used to believe that the belly of a solemn building was the only place to learn. Did you know that one of the most significant libraries of the ancient world, the great library of Alexandria Egypt, was located where it was because of a supply of papyrus to make paper? You can’t let people carry around precious papyrus scrolls. So yes, location restrictions around where to learn made sense at some point.
But that isn’t a thing with digital. So let loose and take advantage of all the options of where to learn that may rock your kids’ boats. They can access the knowledge anywhere and anytime so let them choose.
Go forth and let the kids in your life feel ‘powered up’.
