Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Wonder Team. Wonder Team Wonders, “What can children teach their parents?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Wonder Team!

Do you enjoy learning with your family? Family literacy celebrates the unique opportunity that exists for families to read and learn together. In doing so, they can make their lives more fulfilling. How do you and your family learn together?

A great start is spending time together as a family. Pile on the couch and read a favorite book together. Go on a nature hike and see what you might learn on the trail. Even homework is more fun when it’s done with those you love!

Family literacy is all about families learning together. Of course, that often means the parents or caregivers are teaching the children. Most adults can tell you, though, that they’ve learned some important lessons from kids. It’s this shared learning between parents and children that makes family literacy so powerful.

So, what can grown-ups learn from kids? You might be surprised. It could be as simple as a lesson an adult has learned in the past but forgotten. It might be the details in a story or picture that kids notice but their adult family members overlook. It might be a child’s thrill or amazement at a part of the world adults take for granted.

Of course, kids can also teach adults about new things. They can help grown-up family members work the newest smartphone. Children might even help adults understand modern fashion trends. Sometimes kids just know more than adults do about these topics!

Families learn best from each other when they listen and make the most of their time together. Here are a few examples of some things parents and caregivers can learn from children:

  • Technology: Programming the newest smart devices. Texting. Using social media. These are all skills most kids can help their parents with. Parents often find their children are at least one step ahead of them when it comes to technology. Take an interest in technology. Let your children show you a few things. You can find common ground that can lead to great discussions.

  • Trends: Many parents are shocked when they hear about new trends on the nightly news. From cyberbullying to teens abusing drugs, it’s important for parents to know what’s going on in the world their children live in. Develop an open and trusting relationship with your children. This way, you can hear about these things from them—not from the news.

  • Patience: People make mistakes. How parents and caregivers react to kids’ mistakes will teach both the children and the adults many things. It’s important to learn the skill of patience. Work at it and it’ll be worth it!

  • Forgiveness: When kids make mistakes—and they will—it’s important that adults learn how to forgive and move on in a positive way. This is not an easy lesson. But your children will learn from your example. They may even become more patient with you!

  • Wonder: Every day, try to see the world around you through a child’s eyes. Let your children’s natural curiosity inspire you. Children can help us pause to appreciate the wonders of our world. Go where they want to go. Try the things they want to try. The destination is not important, but the journey is incredible.

What else can children teach the adults in their lives? From the current trends to life lessons, kids have both knowledge and wisdom to share. Parents and caregivers can learn a lot if they pay attention!

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.SL.2, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.W.4, CCRA.W.7

Wonder What's Next?

Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day takes you to a different sort of graveyard!