5 mental models to teach your child

💡 Valuable Things Kids Don’t Learn In School

Mental models are an explanation of how the world works. They’re a framework or a worldview that changes the way you interpret problems and understand information.

Learning new mental models gives your kids a new way of seeing the world — and it can give them a distinct advantage because they’ll be able to think differently than the crowd.

5 mental models to teach your child to help them get ahead:

1. Reactance

Psychology teaches that the more we’re pressured to do something, the less likely we’ll want to do it. 

This explains why the more you nag your kids about doing their math homework, the less they’ll want to do it on their own. Or why your kids might love reading books in their free time, but hate it when their English teacher requires it.

How to use it: Your kids will feel more motivated if they have a choice. So instead of saying they have to do something, think about why they might want to do that thing.

For example, doing their math homework will help them ace their test, which feels great. Or maybe they can think about how doing their required reading will expose them to books that they wouldn’t have explored on their own.

2. Velocity

Physics teaches that velocity and speed are different things. Speed only covers how fast you move — but velocity also covers where you’re moving.

With packed schedules and full school days, it’s easy to get caught up in moving with speed and forget to consider your child’s direction. 

How to use it: Don’t let your kid just fill up their schedule so they can be busy. Ask: what is their end goal? And how do their activities and extracurriculars help them reach that goal?

3. Inversion

Philosophy teaches that imagining the worst-case scenario ahead of time can help us  overcome our fears — and even come up with plans to prevent them.

We’re told that we should help our kids focus on what they want — not on what they don’t. But doing so can be a powerful exercise.

How to use it: Before your kid’s next big soccer game or math test, ask them: What could go wrong? What are they trying to avoid? How can they make a plan to avoid it? 

4. 80/20 principle

Economics teaches that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes. 

This means that 80% of the results we want come from 20% of the work. So how can we help our kids focus only on what’s most important? 

How to use it: Ask your child to consider — how can they spend their time so they’re doing the tasks that will have the greatest impact first? For example, they could start studying for a big test a week early instead of spending their time completing an assignment that won’t impact their grade.

5. Compounding

Mathematics teaches that even small amounts of interests, when compounded over time, lead to exponential growth.

How to use it: Teach your kid that consistency matters more than accomplishing a lot in a short time. What goal do they have? How can they take tiny steps toward accomplishing that goal each day? If they keep up with those tiny steps, where will they be in a year?

⚡️ 2 Short Lessons

1. How to help your kid figure out their ‘why’ (link)

2. Why AQ (adaptability quotient) may be more important than IQ in predicting success (link)

👩🏻‍🎓 Student success story - Julia’s entrepreneurial dream

🚀 3 Tools To Boost Your Teen’s Productivity

1. Binko Chat — a chat app that lets people communicate across languages

2. Trellis — ChatGPT-powered custom tutor and textbook companion

3. DocuAsk — Upload documents in any language and ask it questions

Thanks for reading!

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Until next time,
Ivy
CEO Prequel, BETA Camp, Apollo
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