Why you should strive to confuse your kids

Ramsey Musallam isn’t some world-renowned educator. 

By all accounts, he’s an above-average high school chemistry teacher (hold your Walter White jokes please 🙄).

But a near-death experience, and a conversation with the surgeon who would save his life, flipped his approach to learning on its head.

What does he think parents and teachers should focus on?

Confusing our kids.

Why? 🤔

Because confusion creates curiosity.

And curiosity is the first of Ramsey’s three rules to spark learning:

1. Curiosity comes first

“Questions can be windows to great instruction, but not the other way around,” claims Ramsey.

This makes sense.

Think about it — when was the last time your kid learned something because they knew all the answers? Probably never.

Confusion isn’t a roadblock, it’s the matchstick that ignites the fire of curiosity. 

When you lob a brain-bender at your kids, you're not messing with them, you’re teaching them to actually think.

Leave ‘em hanging. Don’t give in.

This is where real learning kicks in – not in the safety of spoon-fed facts, but in the chaos of the unknown. That's the real deal about sparking curiosity. It's about pushing them into the deep end of the question pool and watching them learn to swim. 

Confusion is your ally, not the enemy.

2. Embrace the mess

“Learning is ugly,” says Ramsey.

He’s referring to trial and error.

This process – the repeated attempts, the countless errors, the near-misses – is the meat grinder of learning. It's where theories are tested, and real skills are forged. 

Encourage your kids to get their hands dirty and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

The path to any worthwhile skill is littered with epic fails and facepalm moments. That’s the beauty of it. Each mistake is a stepping stone, a crucial part of the journey. 

So, next time your kid flubs up, don’t rush to smooth it over. Let them feel the rawness of that mistake, understand it, own it. Because in this beautifully ugly process of trial and error, they’re not just learning – they’re becoming unstoppable.

3. Practice reflection

The rearview mirror is a powerful tool.

Imagine this— your kid just bombed a science test or fumbled during a piano recital. 

The gut reaction? Probably to shove it aside and move on. 

By doing that, they’re stifling the learning opportunity. Instead, asses:

• What went wrong? 

• What went right? 

• How did it feel when they hit a snag?

When your kid starts reflecting like a pro, they're not just learning from their experiences; they're multiplying their wisdom. They're learning to recognize patterns, to anticipate hurdles, and to adapt strategies.

So, push them to look back, to dissect, to ponder. Because in this reflective practice, they’re not just revisiting the past — they’re shaping their future.