The moment your child first asks, “Why is the sky blue?” or insists on reading just one more page of a book, you see something bigger than curiosity—you see a spark. That spark is the love of learning, and for a while, it feels self-sustaining. But then the worksheets start to pile up, and the pressure mounts. Somewhere between school projects and after-school burnout, that spark dims. With intention and just a bit of strategy, you can protect that spark like it’s sacred.
Let Them Follow Weird Interests
It might be snakes this month. Or asteroids. Or bubble tea. And while those obsessions can feel random—or even annoying—it’s essential to treat them like a runway for deeper learning. Ask questions. Get them library books on the topic. Watch documentaries together. When you treat their passions as valid, you remind them that knowledge isn’t something you’re forced to consume, it’s something you chase. That chase is where the love of learning lives.
Show Them That Learning Never Ends
When you make the decision to go back to school, your kids see firsthand that learning doesn’t stop with graduation—it’s a lifelong pursuit. Thanks to flexible options like online degree programs, it’s easier than ever to balance education with the demands of work and family. By pursuing an online psychology degree, for instance, you not only deepen your understanding of the cognitive and emotional processes that shape behavior, but also gain the tools to support those who need help most. Whether you’re up late writing papers or carving out time to study between meetings and meals, you’re modeling resilience, time management, and the value of personal growth.
Resist the Urge to Fix Every Struggle Right Away
When your child stumbles—maybe over long division, maybe over a disappointing grade—it’s tempting to swoop in with a solution. But the grit they build in those moments is more valuable than the fix. Give them space to wrestle with frustration, and offer curiosity instead of correction. Ask what they notice about the problem, or what they might try next. Struggle, when supported and not short-circuited, becomes a key part of the learning process.
Encourage Team Sports
When kids play sports, they aren’t just burning energy—they’re building a mental framework for how to approach challenges with grit and curiosity. Through practices, games, and even losses, they learn discipline, perseverance, and the kind of goal-setting that sticks because it’s tied to something they enjoy. Nonprofit programs like 4Kidz Sports help create environments where those lessons can thrive, giving kids experiences that naturally carry over into the classroom, where they’re more likely to embrace feedback, stay focused, and push themselves toward growth.
Curate a Home That Sparks the Imagination
Your home doesn’t have to be a museum of curated educational tools, but a few intentional choices go a long way. A rotating basket of books in the living room. A microscope on the kitchen table. Art supplies that are easy to reach without asking. These quiet invitations to explore send a powerful message: your home values curiosity. And when kids live in a space that respects their minds, they use those minds more freely.
Normalize Not Knowing—and the Hunt That Comes After
When your child asks a question you don’t know the answer to, fight the urge to pretend you do. Say, “Let’s find out together.” Pull out a book. Open a new tab. Show them how to follow a question from hunch to hypothesis to understanding. This teaches something vital: not knowing is not a dead end. It’s a beginning. It’s a signal to explore, not a sign of failure.
Let Them Redefine What Counts as Learning
Schools often treat learning like it lives in test scores and completed worksheets. But your child might be learning more from building Minecraft structures or perfecting a TikTok dance than you realize. Instead of dismissing those experiences, get interested in the world of unconventional learning methods. Ask them to teach you something they’ve mastered. Reflect out loud on what skills it took to learn it. This gives them ownership over their growth, even when it doesn’t come with a grade.
Build a Ritual Around Discovery
One of the simplest ways to keep the flame alive is to make learning part of your family’s rhythm. Maybe that’s a Sunday evening documentary. Maybe it’s a question jar you dip into at dinner. Maybe it’s a weekly science experiment, complete with flops and messes. These rituals don’t have to be elaborate. They just have to be consistent enough to remind your kids: learning isn’t reserved for classrooms. It’s part of how your family lives.
You can’t control what kind of teacher your child gets next year, or whether school will sometimes feel like a grind. But you can protect the part of learning that matters most. That sense of wonder. That impulse to ask. That belief that knowledge is delicious and worth chasing. Keep fanning that flame, and you won’t just raise a student. You’ll raise a lifelong learner.
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Article provided by:
Jenny Miller
jenny@stopndd.org