How Parents Can Better Prepare Children in the Era of A.I & Robotics

The truth is, the advent of technology sometimes makes us doubt our own capabilities as A.I seems to be able to do things we humans presumably can’t. We could ask our Smartphones questions, and even use our GPS to navigate through unfamiliar territory. For it seems as though yesterday’s miracle has become today’s expectation.

Therefore, given the current backdrop of great technological development, what skills should parents be teaching children to have a fighting chance in a future dominated by robots and Artificial Intelligence (A.I)? Fundamentally, child psychologists generally agree that it’s about honing the skills that robots won’t have, namely curiosity, creativity and Innovation.

Fostering Curiosity, Creativity and Innovation

Acceptance is the first step. In truth fostering your kid’s curiosity and creativity is the vital next step towards preparing them for the future. Because, technology does two things to us: (1) It makes our environment change faster and, (2) gives us more options to choose from.

Curiosity will be necessary to keep up with tomorrows tech’s changes. Creativity will then allow a child to leverage the additional options provided by technology to change the environment.

In other words, Robots might be able to lift heavy loads, perform complex computations in milliseconds, and be the purveyor of human knowledge, but it’ll take a long time until they’re able to truly create on their own. That, and the fact that curiosity needed to reach such creativity, will separate your children from the robots.

How to foster the notion of curiosity

I am sure many parents today have already embarked on some project or activity which helps to foster curiosity in your child. But that’s not the point. It’s about how you do it that will give them the mental agility to stand the test of time.

“Just like you don’t need to create an elaborate play area, you don’t need the latest and greatest toys either. ”

Talk Through The Environment: This is an old parenting trick of making the extraordinary look ordinary. Example: The grocery store might not seem exciting, but there was a time when humans had to grow all their food and/or hunt and kill animals in order to avoid starvation. Now you simply walk into a store and buy food or you could even order food online - the concept of purchases has evolved over time. This line of thought allows them to realize things were not always this way. There are beginnings, endings and evolutions. Normalising this type of thinking is important.

Show Them What Advertisers do to Influence: You should begin to teach kids to understand when they’re being tricked and how it’s being done. Using TV as an example: “Point out what tricks advertisers use to get you to buy products,”. Also, “Have your child point out the ones he or she thinks they are using.” Like, “They’re playing fun music and showing bright colours to make this look more entertaining!” Or, “Do pretty models make burgers actually taste better?” These questions help children with their thought process and in developing an enquiring mind and a curious spirit.

Emphasize the importance of the learning process: In general, the right kind of curiosity to deal with what’s ahead comes from “searching the space of possible actions.” Kids often stumble when faced with a problem because they’re trying to jump right to the answer, and not value the thinking process behind it. Counteracting this impulse will be key in the coming decades. Acquiring knowledge without having gone through the process & discipline in acquiring it, makes that piece of knowledge worthless.

How to support a child’s creative ideas

To begin with, creativity starts from you as children learn best when watching their own parents. One way would be to join your child when they’re drawing or building or colouring. One little girl for example wanted her parents to help her build an art jungle in the living room. At first mom was hesitant as she doubted her own ability to create. But this provided a great opportunity for the family to bond, and everyone had a fun time together in the end.

Designate a space for creating
Carving out a space where your child can be creative is important. But this doesn’t mean having a fancy playroom. It could be a tiny corner with a sack of LEGOs or a box of your old clothes for playing dress-up, she said. We could see creativity flourish in the most cramped spaces, including the slums of Kenya. The key is for your child to feel like they have power over their space.

Keep it simple
Just like you don’t need to create an elaborate play area, you don’t need the latest and greatest toys either. Child educational psychologists suggest keeping simple games and activities. For instance, playing LEGOs with children. But instead of following instructions, the kids let the wheels of their imagination spin and build what they want. Allow them to determine what they would like to do.

Help your child activate their senses
Expose your kids to the world so they can use all of their senses, according to Charlotte Reznick, who’s also an associate clinical professor of psychology at UCLA. This doesn’t mean investing in costly or complicated trips. Take them to the library, museum, playground and the great outdoors she shared. Ask them to imagine what traveling to faraway places, such as the African safari, might be like. Ask them to imagine What animals would they encounter? What would the safari look like? What would it smell like? What noises would the animals make? Imagination helps to kickstart and unlock that creative mind.

In Conclusion

The truth remains – Although A.I is here to stay, but the strength of the human mind and the will of the human spirit cannot be undermined. As long as our young remain curious, passionate and creative, I believe they will possess the skills and intellectual capabilities to drive innovation and change in the next century. Perhaps we can’t anticipate what will indeed happen in future, but we can prepare our young to possess a “growth mindset” for tomorrow’s success.