Fab Fridays 82: Lessons from Kids

6 things kids know by heart that adults forgot

Ana Lorena Fabrega

Jan 7, 2022

Happy Friday and greetings from the British Virgin Islands!

I took a week off to relax, recharge, and reflect on my goals and resolutions for the year. It’s amazing what a break can do to keep your creative juices flowing. As you think about your goals for the new year, I invite you check out my previous write up on Anti-Goals.

What if kids could get to where they want by avoiding what they don’t want?

Let me know if you try this strategy with your kids. Curious to know what they come up with!

There’s so much we can learn from children. Here are 6 things kids know by heart that adults forgot:

1. How to TINKER

Kids love to fiddle, dabble, and mess with stuff until they figure it out.

Adults see this as a waste of time, but it's the only way to make new discoveries, like the airplane and the lightbulb.

2. How to ROLEPLAY

Kids love to pretend they're doctors, engineers, artists, and musicians.

Adults feel bad faking it until they make it, but kids know the power of mirroring role models.

3. How to BURST

Kids love to interrupt: "No, put the block here, not there!"

Scientists call this burstiness— a sign of great collaboration.

Adults worry about speaking out of turn, but productivity comes from ignoring status games and focusing on the problem at hand.

4. How to THINK ELASTICALLY

Kids love to make crazy connections between unrelated things, like cars and elephants or paper and concrete.

Adults don’t want to seem silly, but innovation requires looking at the world in unexpected ways.

Read more here + watch my latest video on Elastic thinking!

5. How to QUESTION EVERYTHING

Kids love to get to the bottom of things and ask “why, why, why, why, why?”

Adults don't want to look stupid, but breakthroughs happen when we stop making assumptions and think from first principles.

Ana Lorena Fabrega @anafabrega11

Kids naturally think in first principles. They ask ‘why’ a lot because they’re trying to understand how things work. They’re trying to deconstruct what’s thrown at them to decide if it makes sense. They’re trying to think for themselves. Parents, cherish the ‘why’ questions.

Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom

11/ Some questions you might ask... Why do I believe this to be true? How do I know this is true? How can I support this belief? What alternative viewpoints might exist? In short, become an endlessly curious child again! Question anything and everything. Ask why! https://t.co/nnDijOARz7

6. How to QUIT

Kids love to focus on what they enjoy and quit stuff they don’t like.

Adults get stuck doing things they hate, but fulfillment comes from cutting your losses quickly and doubling down on what works.