Access to useful knowledge, information and ideas can help a child learn how things are done in countries s\/he may never visit. This will make him\/her less prone to saying something is impossible<\/em> simply because it\u2019s never been done in his\/her society. At the same time, s\/he will be more willing to try developing his\/her own solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people read so little they have rickets of the mind. Miss a meal if you have to, but don\u2019t miss a book\u201d \u2013 Jim Rohn<\/em><\/p>\n Jim Rohn passed on a few years ago. But his words continue to inspire and educate many. <\/p>\n To me, \u201crickets of the mind\u201d refers to a condition equivalent to the conventional rickets that develops in a person due to his\/her \u00a0intellectual malnourishment. <\/em><\/p>\n Without a willingness to go after new knowledge in as many forms as it is available, a young person or child would over time develop a kind of rickets of the mind. <\/p>\n I suggest 3 ways you can go about giving your child intellectual nourishment:<\/strong><\/p>\n A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Actively Engage Them in Conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe mind must be exercised if it is to grow and strengthen. The more you use your mind, the<\/em> \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sometimes it does NOT help to TELL them \"the\" answer(s).<\/strong>. You may find it helps to give them room to learn by discovery<\/strong><\/em>. That breeds independent thinking and creativity. This was the inadvertent outcome for the two child<\/strong> inventors mentioned above \u2013 when adverse circumstances forced their parents to hand them early responsibility\/freedom.<\/strong><\/p>\n B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Build A Real-World Relevant \u201cLibrary\u201d \u2013 And Get Them To Read <\/strong><\/p>\n Do you buy and read books? What happens to them when you\u2019re done? A bookshelf stocked with useful books can stir your child\u2019s curiosity and interest in reading: especially when s\/he sees you pick and read from there every now and then.<\/p>\n Some of the books by Wole Soyinka (e.g. Ak\u00e9,<\/strong> his childhood memoir) reveal that he received intellectual nourishment from a variety of sources. A challenging school system, and a home rich in learning resources provided by a headmaster father saw to that. <\/p>\n So do Chinua Achebe\u2019s books. Anyone who reads these authors\u2019 works and\/or listens to them speak will see that they often hold well balanced views on any issues they choose to comment upon. Even when it\u2019s on a sensitive subject like Nigeria\u2019s civil war \u2013 as is evident in excerpts I\u2019ve read from Achebe\u2019s new book (There Was a Country).<\/p>\n \u201cReading can be a powerful catalyst for thinking; it has the potential for stimulating wisdom.\u201d<\/em> Soyinka has written about spending hours locked away in his father\u2019s study, devouring huge volumes of books on virtually any subject. The more he read, the more he wanted.<\/em> He thus developed an ability to view issues from different perspectives. A valuable skill!<\/p>\n Little wonder that later in life, he chose to take the risk of flying into Biafra as civil war hostilities threatened (5 decades ago), to explore the possibility of brokering peace. He saw beyond tribal lines, because of the quality of his thinking. He also knew the risks. Yet he did it anyway \u2013 eventually getting locked up by the Nigerian authorities. (He had activist role models in his parents, as well as his uncle and aunt i.e. Fela Kuti\u2019s parents.)<\/em><\/p>\n We need more adults with critical thinking skills like the above mentioned men in society! And YOU can raise a child who will manifest such qualities\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n C.\u00a0 Challenge Them to Think Deeply and Question Everything<\/strong><\/p>\n Interestingly, Soyinka\u2019s books reveal that he survived his ordeal in prison by doing what he\u2019d done since childhood: reading, thinking and writing - with purpose! <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cReading without thinking gives a disorderly mind, and thinking without reading makes one<\/em> Make out time to sit with your kids and discuss the books they read. Not just academic books. Suggest others on literature, history, current affairs, science and technology. Let them know it\u2019s okay to explore subjects outside those they are already familiar with. Quite often, kids not given this guidance miss out on opportunities to discover learning outside the fields they are exposed to in school. That\u2019s not a good thing.<\/p>\n But most importantly, teach them to question what they read.<\/strong> They should understand that authors often present their own views and opinions. Encourage them to do their own thinking and come up with new or even better ways to see the same issues. And see if you can get them to give short talks and write short pieces on their own views.<\/p>\n Important note:<\/em><\/strong> I must stress at this point, that by reading, <\/strong>I do NOT<\/strong> refer to studying of religious literature for religious purposes. Society already provides ample opportunity for that to happen through various gatherings organized on a regular basis. I\u2019m concerned instead with a child developing the ability to competently extract useful learning (by reading books) that s\/he can put to productive use for himself or society.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Intellectual nourishment <\/em>is one gift we can give our kids that will boost their ability to achieve relevance to the benefit of society, and recognition for themselves. This works in business or life in general. <\/p>\n It can also give them the capacity to bounce back\/recover \u2013 as many times as may be necessary \u2013 from any setbacks they suffer, to achieve their valued goals. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s a thought to drive this point home: <\/strong>Decades ago, when he was much younger, Wole Soyinka took a series of actions that at a point made academic peers and even relatives refer to him in less than flattering terms. He even lost friends. But it was mostly because they could not see the big picture he saw!<\/p>\n Today, the same Wole Soyinka is a nobel laureate \u2013 and he\u2019s written books about the above experiences and more. <\/p>\n With the right kind of intellectual nourishment<\/em>, you can be sure your child will also end up making YOU proud.<\/p>\n \u201cThe brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed<\/strong>, if one will only take the pains to train the mind to think\u2026The brain that isn\u2019t used rusts<\/strong>. The brain that is used responds. The brain is exactly like any other part of the body: it can be strengthened by proper exercise, by proper use<\/strong>. Put your arm in a sling and keep it there for a considerable length of time, and when you take it out, you find that you can\u2019t use it. In the same way, the brain that isn\u2019t used suffers atrophy<\/strong>.\u201d - Thomas Edison <\/em> What do you think of the above post? Share your thoughts in the comments - or send me an email via tayo at tksola dot com.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Do you know anyone who might benefit from reading this post? Why not share it using the social media buttons provided on this page? Thanks in advance \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\nDo You Nourish Your Child\u2019s Mind?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n more it will improve your ability to think\u201d - Jay Anderson<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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\n - Michael Angier.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n unbalanced\u201d \u2013 Confucius<\/em><\/p>\nConclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Another great mind had this to say:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n (Source:<\/strong> Hill N., Think and Grow Rich, New York, Hawthorn Books, Inc, 1966.)<\/em><\/p>\nComments?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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