“Mum, mum!” she called the mother looking excited. “Nataka kuandika barua.”

“Barua? Unaandikia nani barua kamum?” Asked the mother.

“Akili Kids! TV wametuambia tunaweza andikia barua to yule character tunapenda kwa Akili Kids! TV alafu watasoma barua yetu kwa TV.” Keni replied cheerfully!

“Eeeeeh!” exclaimed the mother.

“Si utanisaidia?” She asked her mother.

“Ntakusaidia kamum.” She said. “Na unajua kuandika kweli ama unataka mimi nikuandikie?” Said Mama Boi teasing Keni.

She looked at her with a smiley face and the mother chuckled back.

“Sawa, enda basi ulete kitabu na kalamu. Alafu tuandike barua yako.”

She rushes to get a book and pen from a shelf and places it on the table.

Favourite character wako kwa Akili Kids! TV ni nani?

“Esme na Word Girl na Princess Pea” She says excitedly (Add links)

“She laughs… kwani hii barua itaenda kwa hao wote ama ni kwa mtu mmoja?” Asked the mother.

“Sawa basi tuandikie to Princess Pea” replied Keni.

“Sawa tumwambie aje?” Asked Mama Boi.

“Tumwambieee… Princess Pea, nampenda, alafu tena napenda dress yake na nitakuwa na dress kama yake Christmas ikifika. Si utaninunulia mum?” She asked. “Alafu mwambie, when I grow up nataka nikuwe princess ako na crown na wand kama yake.” Explained Keni. “Na pia nitakuwa na spelling powers kama yeye.”

“Hiyo ndio unataka kumwambia?” Asked Mama Boi.

“Alafu tena asalimie team yake ya super readers na kila mtu kutoka Akili Kids!” She concluded.

“Okay! Sawa.” said Mama Boi.

The post Keeping Up With Boi: Keni Writes A Letter To Princess Pea. appeared first on Akili TV.

“Aaaaargh! Kwani hii password ni gani? si nakumbuka vile niliweka last time,” said Baba Boi. “Kwa nini saizi inanisumbua.” 

“Baba Boi, ata wewe huwa unapoteza password yako kila saa,” said Mama Boi. “Na hata hujakaa na hii simu kwa mda mrefu.” She said.

“Si ati napoteza password,” said Baba Boi. “Kila time naweka password kwa account yangu ya Facebook iko sawa, lakini next time nikijaribu kuiweka tena, ni kama imebadilika.”

“Uko sure hakuna mtu mwingine anajua hiyo password yako?” asked Mama Boi.

“Ama kuna mtu anaweza kuwa amehack Facebook account yangu?” said Baba Boi. “Unajua juzi nimekuwa kwa cyber cafe.  Walikuwa wananisaidia kubadilisha password. Sijui kama walilog out kwa account yangu.”

“Basi, itabidi tumebadilisha password yako saizi,” she said. “Ndio sasa next time ukuwe unaikumbuka na kuijua vizuri.”

Baba Boi hands over his phone to Mama Boi. She is helping him out with the password issue.

“Mimi sijui vitu mingi sana kuhusu hizi mambo za social media, lakini najua password yako hufai kuwa unasahau tu hivo,” Said Mama Boi. “Nimejifunza kidogo kidogo kwa ile show akina Boi wanawatch ya Flash Squad.”

“Ooooh, naikumbuka,” he said. “Inaendelea aje?” He asked.

“Iko poa so far.” She replied. “Unajua last time, ilikuwa inahusu kupoteza password, kama tu wewe.”She teased.

She hands over the phone to him.

“Sasa weka password mpya hapa,” she instructs. “Na usiniambie.”

“Wacha niweke ile yenye natumia kila mahali.” He said.

“Apana, usifanye hivo!” She exclaimed.

“Ata kwa Flash Squad wanasema, ile password unatumia kwa account moja, hufai kutumia kila mahali,”  she said.“Tumia password different kwa kila account.”

“Kwa nini, na hiyo ndio nitakumbuka virahisi?” He asked.

“Unajua kama mtu amepata password yako ya account moja, anaweza kuaccess hizo account zingine,” said Mama Boi.“Ndio maana hufai kutumia the same password kila mahali.”

“Sawa, na nikisahau hii ingine?” Asked Baba Boi.

“Wewe andika kwanza, niko hapa kukusaidia,” said Mama Boi.

“Nimeandika,” said Baba Boi.

“Sasa, shika kalamu na karatasi, uandike hiyo password alafu utaiweka mahali haitapotea,” She said. “Na pia mahali mtu hawezi kuipata.”

“Wueh, na wewe ni mnoma!” Said Baba Boi.

“Nakuwanga mnoma kila siku,” she chuckled. “ Sasa hizo steps, ndio zinaitwa permanence, privacy na protection.”

“Basi ntabadilisha passwords zangu zote, na niziandike kwa notebook yangu ya secret passwords,”  he said.

The post Keeping Up With Boi (Password protection) appeared first on Akili TV.

“Daddy, si ulisema utatubeba kwa bike yako, leo?” asks Keni as she comes running to her Dad.

“Yes, kamum, najua niliwapromise, lakini nimeosha tu bike saizi, labda niwabebe kwa bike lakini hatuendi mahali, si ni sawa?”. 

“Sawa Dad,” She said in a joyous mood.

“Basi enda ukaite Boi na Sydo mkuje niwabebe, alafu nitawapiga picha kama mko kwa bike”

“Boi!, Boi! kuja dad anatuita, Sydo kuja” She runs to the house to call her elder siblings.

“Boi, nataka niwabebe kwa bike leo lakini hatuendi mahali, nitawapiga tu picha ni kama mnaendesha motor bike”.

He proceeds to put down the Bike stand, then lifts the children onto the bike. He takes out his smartphone and takes a Selfie facing the kids on the motorbike and two more selfies.

He immediately proceeds to posts the photos on Facebook and caption “Sunday ni kurelax na family” #family#chilling#goodtimes

It is Monday evening and Baba Boi is back home after a long working day. He appears bothered. Mama Boi welcomes him to the house.

“Mambo Baba Boi, siku yako imekuwa aje leo?” asks Mama Boi.

“Job imekuwa poa, lakini kuna watu wamekuja kuniharibia siku jioni vile nilikuwa naangalia Facebook yangu”.

“Kwani nini imefanyika?” asked Mama Boi.

“Sasa, jana after nimemaliza kuosha bike around lunch time, niliweka watoto kwa bike tukapiga mapicha, kujibamba tu!Alafu nikapost kwa Facebook”.

“Leo jioni, kuingia kwa Facebook, napata kuna watu wengine wameanza kuongea vibaya kunihusu na kuhusu zile picha nimepost.”

“Na ni kama, si real accounts kwa sababu zile majina wanatumia, ni za kuguess, na pia ni watu wenye si friends zangu”.

“Ati ni za kuguess?” asks Mama Boi while laughing.

“Kuna mmoja aliongea vibaya sana, wacha tu nikuonyeshe”

He takes out his phone to show Mama Boi the comments. The first comment which had tonnes of reactions read;

‘How can you leave your children alone on the motorbike, that is very dangerous. You need to be a careful father! -(Phyllo Queen Mtrue)’

‘Huyu anataka watoto wake pia wakuwe bodaboda riders in life, you need to give your children a better vision in life.(Johnte Mhumble )’

Other people had also negatively commented on these two posts.

“Niliwajibu vibaya ata mimi, sikuwaacha tu hivo” said Baba Boi.

“Alafu sasa, wakaanza matusi, mimi sikuwa na time ya kuwajibu tena, so nikawaacha tu hivo. Lakini nataka kudelete ata hii picha, ndio watu wengine wasikuje kucomment vitu mbaya”.

“Si ungewacha tu kubishana na wao. Kwanza, Boi, ile show ya Flash Squad yenye mliwatch, si walikuwa wanaongelea mambo ya online trolling?”.

“Eeeeeh!” shouted the kids in unison.

“Eh! ni show gani hiyo sijui?”, asked Baba Boi.

“Inaitwa Flash Squad Dad, iko kwa Akili Kids! TV” Keni told her father.

“Eeeh, waliona kwa Akili Kids! TV, last week on Friday” added Mama Boi.

“Kwani hiyo show ilikuwa inahusu nini?” inquired the dad.

“Daddy!, daddy! kuna msichana anaitwa Phiona, aliambiwa vitu mbaya kwa social media, na kumbe mwenye alimwambia alikuwa ni msichana mwingine tu wa shule yao anajifanya ni mtu mwingine” said Sydo in a joyful  mood as the others watched him explain to their father.

“Ni kama hao watu walikuwa wanacomment vitu mbaya mbaya, hata siwajui lakini waliamua tu kusema vitu mbaya”

“Anyway, sasa alifanya nini?” asked the dad.

“Dad!, kwa Flash Squad walisema step 1 ni Report” said Boi.

“Hiyo ndio nini sasa” exclaimed Baba Boi.

“Kureport, ni kutuma complaint ya hiyo account inasema vitu mbaya  kukuhusu kwa Facebook” explained Mama Boi.

“tuna click tu hizo comment zao alafu kuna option ya kureport, tunaclick hapo”.  Said Mama Boi as she was showing him how do it.

“Dad!, alafu step ingine yenye walisema kwa Flash Squad ni Block” said Sydo.

“Ata wewe unajua baba?” asked Baba Boi.

“Eeeh! najua. Ukiblock hao watu, hawatakuwa wanaona Facebook yako” said Sydo.

“Anamanisha posts zako za Facebook na kila kitu unapost hawataweza kuona” clarified Mama Boi.

“So, tutaclick hiyo jina zao alafu tuclick on Block user” she continued.

“Na last step ni gani?” she said in excitement while looking at the Kids.

“Clean” they all shouted in excitement.

“Kuclean ni, kumake sure umedelete hizo comments mbaya from your post,” emphasised Mama Boi.

“Ebu, delete hizo comments kwanza” she insisted.

“Sasa hiyo ndio REPORT, BLOCK AND CLEAN” said Mama Boi.

“Heh!  Si hiyo show ni noma sana, yaani mmejua hiyo yote kutoka kwa hiyo show?” he asked.

“Inakuja saa ngapi ndioi next time tuwatch pamoja?”

“Inaanza usiku by 7:30.” said Mama Boi

“Na usichelewe kukuja home this Friday,” she insisted

“Ni sawa, nitamake sure nimekuja mapema on Friday” assured Baba Boi

The post Keeping up with Boi (Trolling Episode) appeared first on Akili TV.

There’s a knock on the door. “Wacha niende nikafungue mlango, mummy!”, Keni shouted as she ran towards the door hoping that it was Boi.

“BOI! Boi amekuja! Wametoka mid-term! Yess!!!”, Keni jumped at Boi and gave him a heartfelt hug. “Kumbe daddy alikuja kukuchukua kutoka shule, nimekumiss!”, Keni said as she held her brother’s hand and walked to the kitchen. Their dad, feeling proud to see his son and daughter bond, left Boi’s suitcase at the door and followed them to the kitchen. Mama Boi’s brown and soft-layered chapatis were calling them by name. She makes her chapos extra special by adding ghee.

“Mmmh…Chapos!”, they all exclaimed. “MMmmhh…ni tamuuu!”, Boi and his dad looked at each other as they took another bite. “Mimi na Sydo tumesaidia mum kupika chapo!”, Keni babbled.

“Good Job, guys! Ni tamu sana”, Boi commented while devouring a few more chapos.

(A few hours later, Boi and his family are relaxing in their living room)

“Boi, how were the exams?”, Baba Boi asked.

“Tough. I tried my best, dad”, Boi replied as he handed over his file to his parents.

“Ei! Na hii composition nikama ilikulemea! Hio jina ‘hodgepodge’ inaandikwa hivyo kweli? Ebu leta dictionary tuconfirm. Ei…more spelling mistakes? Flabber..what? Haha! Wacha tujifunze these words pamoja”,  Baba Boi teased. 

“Spelling is quite hard, dad”, Boi claimed as he brought the dictionary and sat next to his dad. 

“Don’t worry, son. We will learn the correct spelling of the words you missed and come up with a plan to improve your spelling skills, sawa? ”, his dad encouraged him.

“And if you keep learning new words every day, you will be able to participate in spelling bee competitions like the one on Akili Kids! TV. Kwanza you’re just in time for episode 2!”, Baba Boi gushed.

“Episode 2 ni this Saturday and Sunday at 9am and 6pm! The competition is awarding the contestants amazing prizes! This time, the top prize is a tablet!”, Mama Boi added. 

“Wow! I’d love to own a tablet”, Boi exclaimed.

“One day, you will get a tablet. Haiko mbali! First, let’s learn some new words today. Alafu, I want you to form a habit of reading short stories every week. Si shule mkona library?”, Baba Boi asked.

“Yes, dad”, Boi replied.

“Good! Make the library your second home. Pick up a book and if you’re not sure about a word, confirm by looking up the word from the dictionary. Before you know it, we’ll be seeing you on TV taking part in spelling competitions!”, Baba Boi said confidently.

“Sawa sawa, dad”, Boi agreed.

“So how do you spell this word?”, Baba Boi pointed out the word from Boi’s composition.

“F-l-a-b-b-e-r-g-a-s-t-e-d!”, Boi replied.

“Correct!” Baba Boi confirmed.

The post “Flabber…what? Baba Boi Comes To The Rescue – Spelling Bee appeared first on Akili TV.

Eric, my cousin, strongly felt like most of what he was learning in school would not be relevant to him later in life. Phew!! I could relate! He wishes schools taught practical things such as financial education, problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence (I have to admit he is a bit too focused for his age. I was definitely not thinking about this when I was in form 2!).

Luckily, there are ways to supplement children’s studies with content that is focused on developing them wholesomely.

By now you know that most of my free time is spent babysitting my nephew and that simply means watching Akili Kids! and lots of it! From lessons on saving tips and environmental conservation on Ubongo Kids, Gender equality on My Better World and Sci Girls, managing emotions and conflict resolution with  Esme and Roy , community building with Rastamouse and problem solving on ABC Mouse Search and Explore! I am still in awe of how much I continue to learn from this channel!

If only Eric grew up having such content to supplement his studies, then maybe he would not be in such a situation. (Sigh) I’ m curious to know, what’s that one topic you studied in high school and are yet to apply anywhere?

The post Akili Kids! The Newest School In Town. appeared first on Akili TV.

I laughed at my silly thoughts as I walked towards my son’s room.  

“Wewe…Sindio hizi socks… Ukona mchezo sana Boi!” I said.  

“Tihihihi, thanks, mama!”  

“No worries Boi, actually, would you mind helping me clean up the compound? I was thinking of planting tomatoes today and make us some nice homemade ketchup after harvest!”  

“Sounds great, mama!” Boi replied. Can Keni and Sydo join us too?”  

“Sure!” I replied.  

A little while later, I noticed the kids were having a fantastic time digging holes, getting their hands dirty and having fun at the same time. Sydo was recycling old tins by planting mint in them while Boi was sorting out food waste from the dustbin that we would make compost from. 

Impressed with this, I asked, “Where did you guys learn this cool stuff?”  

“Bob the Builder on Akili Kids!” They both shouted.  

“Sisi ni the dream team” Boi added. 

Funny thing, I have watched some Bob the Builder episodes on Akili Kids! TV. And what Boi is saying is true. There are a couple of lessons on teamwork and collaboration from the show that have resonated with me, such as:  

1.    Don’t Do It Alone:  

Boi was quick to call his siblings to help with gardening. I bet he learnt this from Bob. See, Bob has a crew that’s always there, to help him get the job done. 

2.    Have Fun:  

Just like my little ones were having fun getting their hands dirty as they worked, Bob’s attitude is always positive. He’s such a happy and hard-working boy who spreads the good attitude to his team-mates just like my Boi.  

3.    Be Positive:  

No matter what task is handed to Bob, he takes it on with excitement. On a normal day, Boi would have complained about the chores, but when he had his squad with him, he approached the task with fervence. Can we build it? Yes, we can!  

To be honest, it’s been interesting to see the impact of Akili Kids! TV on my kids. Enyewe, mambo ni digital! Wazazi, for your kids to learn more about this channel, here’s where you can watch from!  

PS: To keep up with Boi and the rest of my family, start here.   

Love,  

Mama Boi.   

The post Keeping up with Boi: Bob the Builder appeared first on Akili TV.

There’s a knock on the door. Mzee wa Boma amewasili. 

Daddy!  

Boi ran towards the door and hugged his dad! 

“Mkurugenzi!  I watched your friend Dora the Explorer on Akili Kids! on my way home. She’s a smart one and can speak Spanish too! Any new word you’ve learned from Dora?” Boi’s dad asked as he tickled him. 

Yes, amigo! Boi laughed. Can I get a monkey too? I’ll name him boots. Just like Dora’s. 

“Uko sure hio Monkey haitatumalizia ugali? “His dad joked.  

“Hahaha! Fine. I’ll settle for a bike.” Boi responded.  

Mama Boi! Na hii Akili Kids! Iko na mambo mazuri! Ni juzi tu niliskia “Aima Reader” ikitangazwa kwa hio channel 602 on Zuku. Simuniambieko hii Aima Reader ni nini?  

All the dads at work seem to know about it! Namnajua sipendi kubaki nyuma!”  Baba Boi exclaimed! 

Boi and I burst into laughter!  

“Daddy! Aima Reader ikona shows like Dora The Explorer and my favorite superhero, Whyatt! He likes reading storybooks just like me!” Boi said with such excitement! His eyes were sparkling! 

“Whyatt? From Super WHY? Ah! I know him. He’s a good chap!” Boi’s dad replied. 

“Eeee…Najua unataka nikununulie hio suit kama ya Whyatt ya green” he added. 

“Kwanza this April holidays. I need to make an impression on my friends, especially Timo.” said Boi. 

Boi had his dad’s humor. 

“Okay, so what time do we get to watch the shows on Aima Reader?” Boi’s dad asked. 

“Every day, from 10am – 11am. The shows are for akina Keni and Sydo! I’m older than them but I still enjoy watching. “Boi added. 

Alright, Mkubwa! The remote is yours, officially! Akili Kids! itakuwa on 24/7.  Baba Boi jokingly said. 

Na hesabu je? He asked. 

“Math Pawa! It has all these cool guys like Max, from Monster Math Squad, Milly & Geo from Team Umizoomi and, Wabi! From Boom! Na Wabi. She’s fun!” Boi shouted.  

Cool name, dude! Baba boi replied. 

“Show me your math powers!” Baba boi yelled. 

Hahaha! I got 88% on my math test. Boi replied.  

Impressive!  

“I learn cool math concepts from these shows, daddy! And I get to help my friends solve math problems.” Boi said. 

“Proud of you, son.” said Baba Boi.  

Boi giggled. 

Dinner was over and it was time for bed. Our bellies were full and the night was beautiful. 

“Eh! Mama Boi, Watoto wamelala. Nipigie kastori hifi hifi ata niwezeko kusikia hio sauti yako nyololo!” Baba boi bantered. 

“Hahaha! You’re so silly!” I laughed. 

I think there’s one learning block on Akili Kids! TV that Boi forgot to say. I remarked. 

“Which one?” Baba Boi asked. 

“Sci Base” I replied. 

“Aha! I really like these “Akili Kids!” guys. They’ve got amazing content! I wonder how it would have been if we had a dedicated children’s TV channel back in the day…” said Baba Boi. 

I’m glad our kids have it.  

“Imagine if you could see my voice…” I interrupted. 

How? Baba boi asked. 

“With shows like Peep and the Big Wide World and The Save-Ums, be prepared to answer all sorts of science questions from Boi. He loves those shows on SciBase!”  I replied. 

We both chuckled at the astonishment on our faces!  

“Well, we should hang out with Boi and his siblings to find out more awesome stuff on Akili Kids! TV. BTW, what time does SciBase shows start?” Baba Boi asked.  

“I think it’s on Weekdays from 11:00am – 12:00pm and Weekends from around noon” I replied.  

“Keni and Sydo are always imitating sounds of Quack and his funny looking bird friends on Peep! The shows on SciBase block are ideal for kids their age, considering they’re still under 6 years old “ I added. 

“Okey! Nimekupata Mama Boi. Situlale sasa…” Baba Boi said yawning. 

Hahaha! Sleep tight, Baba Boi. 

   More on the learning Blocks! 

                                            Teke Teke Haiya! 

   Aima Reader 

Math Pawa

 SciBase

The post Keeping Up With Boi: Aima Reader, Math Pawa and SciBase appeared first on Akili TV.

I was watching Boi play with his friends at the time when that thought crossed my mind. It was only yesterday I was changing his diapers and now, he can kick a ball high up in the air!

“Ni saa ya kurudi kwa nyumba” I shouted from the balcony. “Really Mami, ata saa Moja bado!”

Boi obliged but after a long deep sigh of annoyance. 

“Mami, show za Teke Teke Haiya ziko karibu kuanza. Siukuje tuone pamoja?” Boi called out.

“Boi unataka turushe teke wapi tena?” I laughed as I wiped rivers of salty tears off my face. 

“Mami, Teke Teke Haiya ni shows on Akili Kids! TV za watoto wakubwa kama Mimi na akina Amina and Yusuf from My Better World!” said Boi.

Aha! That’s interesting. They have shows that focus on pre-teens. Brilliant! I should check out the Akili Kids! TV schedule, I thought. 

I could tell he was ecstatic about this “Teke Teke Haiya” manenos. So, I listened.

“Tell me more, son”. 

“Wacha nikuambie Mami! Teke Teke Haiya ikona shows fun kama: Ubongo Kids, Wild Kratts, Word Girl,Search and Explore by ABC Mouse, Cyber Chase na My Better World! These shows have really helped my English and Kiswahili. Sometimes, during Math class, I remember an episode on Ubongo Kids about fractions and I find the answer.”

“Ukweli? Ndio maana homework siku hizi unamaliza!”

I remarked while patting him on the shoulder. 

“I like how creative and independent you have become, always solving problems by yourself. I like how you interact with your buddies too! Are you learning all these from Teke Teke Haiya? “I asked.

“Yes, Mami!

“We can be watching these shows on Teke Teke Haiya in the afternoon on weekdays and Saturday mornings! Sindio?” His face lit up when he asked.

“Lazima baba! We shall watch togezzzaa. “ 

To keep up with Boi, look out for the next blog on Thursday! Meanwhile, here’s more on Teke Teke Haiya! : https://akilikids.co.ke/teke-teke-haiya/

The post Keeping Up With Boi: Teke Teke Haiya! appeared first on Akili TV.

In this part of the series on How to Raise a Successful Child, I’m going to talk a little bit about a learning moment I had a couple of years ago. I read an amazing book called, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success ” by Carol Dweck, PhD. What caught my attention was that she discovered the concepts outlined in the book while researching behavior patterns in young children.

She was assessing the behaviors of children trying to solve mechanical puzzles. She noticed that some children, if they didn’t immediately succeed in solving a puzzle, would easily give up. They would say things like, “it’s too hard”, “I can’t do it”, “I don’t like puzzles” or “puzzles are stupid”. They would just decide they weren’t capable of doing it and leave it at that.

There was another group of kids however that had a different reaction. Instead of being put off by the difficulty, they found the challenge fun and interesting. When questioned after a few minutes of attempting to solve a puzzle, they said things like, “this one is tough”, “let me figure this out”, or “okay, that didn’t work, maybe if I do this”. The outcome: this group of children actually solved the puzzle, regardless of how long it took, and recognized how accomplished they felt upon completing it. Some of these kids even asked for more puzzles!

She called the behavior where a child felt his capability was limited and gave up easily, the fixed mindset. The behavior the other child exhibited, to try until the puzzle was solved, she called the growth mindset. She also suggested that adults also operate within these mindsets, that a mindset develops as the child grows. Dr. Dweck went on to say that we all operate from both mindsets but can choose which one we want to work from. The book proposed that these behaviors can be shifted from one to the other. I then thought, “how can I help my own kids with this newfound information?”

My Experience 

A few months ago, I bought my son a rather complex Lego-type building set. When he first opened it, he tried it for a little bit, then got quickly frustrated, huffed and puffed and gave up. Of course, I got mad because I spent money on it, and while it may have been difficult, I knew that he was capable of building the set. But he was against it, and every attempt I made to get him to try was met with whining and frustration, then at one point he even stormed off and slammed his bedroom door (he got into a lot of trouble with me for that). I put the building set away and didn’t mention it again.

A Few Weeks Later: 

My son was bored, and I suggested that he try the building set. He immediately resisted, got defensive and then angry with me, that I would even suggest that he would try to build it! “It’s too hard”, It’s poorly made” and “I can’t do it”. Sound familiar? I let the building set rest again. Fast forward to yesterday.

My son exclaimed he was bored again, and I told him to try the building set. This time he grabbed it, brought it to the living room, (I was excited!) but right after opening it, he remembered his frustration and immediately started huffing and puffing again, getting angry. And I didn’t help, because I said, “You are not even TRYING!” and he said, “YES I AM!” and stormed off to his room and slammed the door. I took a couple of deep breaths, regrouped and went upstairs. I went into his room, sat down and said, “Do you know what my job is?”
“To be my Dad”, he said.
“And what’s the main thing I need to teach you?”, I asked.
He said, “I dunno”.
I said, “The thing I need to teach you, the thing I really want you to understand, is that you can do ANYTHING. Anything you put your mind to. You know that building set? Are you really going to let it beat you? Do you think it’s better than you? Smarter than you? Are those little plastic pieces going to get the best of you?”
“No.”, he says begrudgingly.

Then I left his room so he could think about what I said. 10 minutes later, he was back at the building set and started over at the beginning. He shifted his mindset. He was good enough, he was worthy. That set was not going to best him. And I didn’t have to yell or get angry.

What I realized was that it wasn’t so hard to help him switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset if I framed it correctly. In this case his view of himself was stronger than his fixed mindset. He made the shift without me exacting a punishment or berating him for him giving up. It would have been really easy to get angry with him, but my anger wasn’t going to shift his mindset, it would have pushed him deeper into his own fear.

How Imagination Supports the Growth Mindset 

I think a growth mindset is driven by a powerful imagination. For example, if a child imagines they can successfully solve a puzzle, it can be a major step to actually solving the puzzle. Real success against a difficult problem, starts with imagining success. Of course, people accidentally succeed all the time, but that most often isn’t enough to reproduce success.

With a growth mindset a human can actually do anything they put their mind to. Why is that? Because the most difficult tasks are the ones that bring us the greatest reward. It’s not easy to be a doctor, or start a business, or even finish school if your home life is difficult. As we get older, our lives do not get easier, they grow more complex and the challenges become greater.

If you can help a child to live in a growth mindset, it’s a gift that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. Your child can do anything he puts his mind to, but in order to actually do it, he needs to imagine and believe that he can succeed. Akili Kids! can help with “imagination” part, but you can help reinforce the most important part: belief that they can do whatever they imagine! TV Schedule

The post How to Raise a Successful Child: Part Three appeared first on Akili TV.

Continuing the series on How To Raise a Successful Child, I thought it important to address the challenge of fear and its impact on learning, that I learned after many years of working alongside Dr. David H. Rose, who has a deep pool of knowledge and experience in the science of the brain, children, and teaching. Something he told me one day, formed the basis of much of my own professional belief system: it is impossible for a human to learn if they are afraid.

Think about this. If a human is afraid, they have one of two absolutely normal reactions: fight or flight. You are afraid and you either become hostile or you want to run away. Perfectly normal and expected. How can you take in and process new information if you are in fight or flight mode? Well the short answer is, you can’t. You’re not going to remember or be able to synthesize anything except how to survive. You can’t learn new things if you’re in survival mode.

Now if this is true for adults, imagine what it feels like to be a child and to be afraid. In fact, there is a lot to be afraid of and it isn’t just about survival. Let me list some examples and let me know if any of these invoke memories:

• Fear that you are going to be bullied
• Fear that someone won’t like you
• Fear that you’re not good enough
• Fear that you will lose the competition
• Fear that you will fail the test
• Fear that you won’t understand a concept and you are supposed to
• Fear that things at home aren’t perfect
• Fear that you’re going to disappoint your parents
• Fear that your teacher will be angry with your performance

This is a short list of opportunities to be afraid. Do you think your child may think about any of these fears? I bet you probably had some of these and many more. Imagine how stacked the deck is against kids, when they are going through any (if not several) of these thoughts, for them to concentrate? For them to take what they’ve learned and be able to apply it while in any mode of fear is incredibly difficult. I won’t even include the challenges that happen when a child hits adolescence (oh it is terrifying when your body and hormones are changing too).

How do I Address My Child’s Fear? 

“Would my child learn more if they were not afraid?” Well actually, yes, they would. Imagine what a very young child is like, how wondrous the world is to them, and how every day is full of learning moments, couched in exploration and play? Well there are quite a few things that help us return to this state of receptivity, even as adults. Play. Entertainment. Fun. Love. Creativity. These are moments that generally aren’t part of the taught school curriculum, but if you think about reducing the barriers to learning, you might introduce some creativity or love. It’s very hard to be afraid when you are having fun or being entertained.

Let me bring all this back to Akili Kids!, what we are hoping to do and why we are doing it. If a child loves Bob the Builder, and is entertained and delighted, they are not afraid at that moment. A message of sharing, task persistence or empathy is much more surely delivered through this medium, than to try to forcefully explain to a child that they must share (and they are afraid of you!). By modeling ideal behaviors and keeping kids in the “fun mode” (a very un-scientific description) you increase the probability that they will retain the message.

In summary, every day we think about messaging and content for children, how to keep them engaged, excited, entertained, and receptive. In order to do this right, we have to bring kids to a place where that fear does not exist, and where their imaginations can run free and unhindered. Only then, in that moment, can we serve them with foundational learning messages that could help them their entire lives. TV Schedule

The post How To Raise a Successful Child: Part Two appeared first on Akili TV.