Risk: Continuing the conversation with your student
Here we discuss how you can help your student further build on their understanding of risk--the concept our classes will focus on this February. To learn about how we will tackle this challenge in class, see our February Brief: Risk.
The more we use a muscle,
the stronger it becomes.
The more we use a muscle, the stronger it becomes.
Your student’s brain works the same way. The more your child thinks about and experiences a concept, the easier it is for them to use that concept as they get older.
What’s this got to do with risk?
Parents, your child’s prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that exercises good judgement, weighs the consequences of actions, and halts impulsive and emotional responses, won’t be fully developed until they are 25 years old.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t help right now. During their weekly sessions, Synthesis will give your students opportunities to consider the impacts of their decisions. At home, you can continue the conversation with questions that guide your student into those same cognitive pathways.
Here are some of our favorites:
❓ Consider the trade-offs.
For any decision your student is stuck on, whether it’s about food, friends, or fun, simply ask, “What are the trade-offs?” You’re not passing judgement here. You’re helping your student make connections between their choices and the consequences of those choices. Ultimately, if the choice is theirs, they’ll move into it with reason rather than impulse.
🚀 High Risk, High Reward
People love moonshots — those wild attempts to do the impossible. Talking with your student, what moonshots have succeeded? Which have failed? What moonshot should humanity attempt next? What are the risks and benefits? Is this moonshot a risk worth taking?
➕ Risk Matrix
Work with your child to identify activities that fall into one of the four boxes below. Which activity are they most motivated by? Why? Is there ever a reason to do a “high risk, low reward” activity? How does your child define a reward in each instance? How do you define a reward in each instance?
