“Even when you can afford it, you can get MORE done with LESS money, if you learn to apply Critical Thinking. Do NOT fall into the habit of throwing money at your problems or goals…” – (me to my kids)
Here’s how 2 of my sons used critical thinking to solve – at ZERO cost – a recent power “cut” problem, which the neighbourhood electrician had earlier demanded N2,500 for…!
That Saturday Morning (in September 2014), the Lights Had Flickered Suddenly & Gone Off
We initially thought it was the usual power cut from the public power company. However, one of the kids coming in from running an errand soon alerted us to the fact that our neighbours lights were still on.
My wife and I went out to see, and soon confirmed it was true. To be sure, I told the kids to start the generator. They did so and when we changed over, nothing happened. It was obvious the current was not getting into the house’s supply line.
Now, none of us had any training (formal or informal) in electrics or electronics.
However, as I have written severally in past articles, my 11 year old son has shown an amazing flair for fixing things especially electricity related. And he’s gotten so good that in our home everyone (including his mother) readily calls on him to fix damaged plugs, replace fuses etc.
That, in addition to the many instances he had used damaged parts from laptops, mobile phones, phone chargers, and old batteries to build useful contraptions (e.g. a crude but functional rechargeable lamp) made me buy him an electrician’s kit for his last birthday present, when I visited Nigeria.
It was this 11 year old of ours who led his 13 year old brother to begin brainstorming on what the possible causes of the current not getting into the house could be.
On my part, I was too angry, indeed frustrated, to get involved. I thought of calling the neighbourhood electrician, but recalled that the last time I’d visited, I had to contend with his excessive and arbitrary pricing of his services.
That day, I’d had to take him down to the ATM to get more cash to get him off my back for fixing a single ceiling fan and a rewriting job. I knew he’d over charged me, but since I did not know how to do it, and I did not want to leave for Cotonou without fixing the problem, I gave in.
So, when this incident happened, I told myself I would rather wait and find someone else to do it.
What I did not expect was that my kids – who I had always challenged to be curious and to think of ways to solve problems without spending money – would choose to apply what I’d told them that day.
My Wife Decided to Call In the Neighbourhood Electrician
I heard her grumble about how I’d not said anything more about the problem. Then soon after, I heard her call the electrician on the phone. He soon arrived, and promptly asked what the problem was.
She replied that she did not know, and explained that current was not getting into the house from either the public power supply or the generator.
I was in the bedroom and listening without saying a word.
Without even going round to do any checks, this chap quickly announced:
“Aha! Your kids must have put one something that’s caused extensive damage. Ask them to tell you what they put on. I’m sure they’ve cause major damage that needs to be traced and fixed”
His voice had assumed a note of superiority. He sounded sure that no one could challenge him. My wife asked him how much it would cost to find and correct the problem.
He wasted no time in saying “N2, 500” (Two Thousand Five Hundred Naira).
When I heard that, I screamed to myself silently wondering how he could arrive at such an outrageous sum without even doing any checks to ascertain that his suspicions were right.
Indeed, I wondered how he could be so sure it was not even something worse, that would cost more than what he was quoting.
But I kept my protests to myself. I let my wife respond instead. She soon told him that she could not pay that much, and asked for a reduction.
He bluntly refused and then to apply pressure on her, he said “Look, are you ready to pay or not? I have other things to do. If you’re not ready, let me leave.”
My wife told him she could not pay that much. Without saying anything more, he picked up his backpack and left.
Once I heard the gate shut after him, I came out and told my wife and kids that I was convinced it was a good thing to have let him go.
Then I announced that I intended to go out and get someone else to look at the problem and give his opinion. I pointed out how he’d used indirect threats to try forcing her hand, to make her pay up. They nodded in understanding
I returned inside and began dressing up to go out.
Suddenly I heard my 2 sons who had been brainstorming all the while, now screaming excitedly saying “Look, there’s light here!”
In response to a suggestion their mother had made, they had disconnected the plug linked to the panel, and put the wires directly back into the socket.
That had caused the little lamp on the side of the socket to come on – confirming there was current up to that point.
This meant the only reason we did not have current in the house was that the fuse in the 15Amp plug was burnt.
When I joined them, I saw what they were referring to, and told them we needed a new fuse.
Not surprisingly, our 11 year old “electrician” – who has a box in which he collects all sorts of electrical parts – said there would be no need to buy a new 15Amp fuse, as he had one stored away.
He quickly dashed into his room and returned with an old plug he’d salvaged from one of his many “scavenging” walks, and he replaced the bad fuse.
A few seconds later, the lights came back on! This happened less than 15 minutes after the neighbourhood electrician left.
Ecstatic, I called the kids together and said:
“See what I mean about not hurrying to spend money to solve a problem, or achieve any goal? Even when you can afford it, you can get MORE done with LESS money, if you learn to apply Critical Thinking. Do NOT fall into the habit of throwing money at your problems. If we had paid that man N2, 500, he would most likely have made a show of doing a lot of work, to justify taking that much. But he would ultimately, only have replaced this same fuse we have just replaced. And we would never have been the wiser!”
As they eagerly nodded their heads and high-fived themselves, I could see they understood – finally!
I knew it was a lesson they would not forget in a hurry.
Now they knew the electrician (an “expert” of sorts) could be wrong, and that THEY could solve a problem themselves if he walked away!
Nothing Is More Empowering for Children than That
Sadly, too many adults easily get stumped when confronted with the unexpected or unusual.
This makes them easily accept defeat when things turn out differently from what they expect. Children who get an opportunity to solve problems that others walk away from – by applying critical thinking – often come away with greater levels of self-esteem and confidence.
That will often prove invaluable to them in their adult lives. Those they relate with will consequently marvel at their seeming ability to defeat failure or setbacks!
The truth is however that people who achieve long term authentic successes often do so because they never stop thinking up new ways to attack a problem they have.
That eventually leads them to what we call breakthroughs – like the one my kids had. I’m so excited for them, because it means they are well on their way to success in adult life.