Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast where we provide one lesson every day to help you with your

most important job being a dad. These are lessons inspired by ancient philosophy, by practical

wisdom, and insights from dads all over the world.

Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

Teach them to ask questions. Too often as parents, we focus on the results. We care about their grades. We care about whether they're turning in their homework. We care about whether they know their times tables or whether they're making it to work on time for their summer jobs. Obviously, these things are important, but by doing this, we can end up skipping over some of the more

important parts of the process and end up missing opportunities to inculcate lifelong habits

that are far more valuable than any grade. The scientist Arthur Sackler talked about how growing up

in Brooklyn, every other Jewish mother would ask their kids, did you learn anything at school today? Or how did you do on your

test? But Sackler's mother never did. Instead, when he got home, she would say, Izzy, did you ask a good

question today? That difference, he said, that emphasis on asking good questions and being curious was what made him a scientist.

We've talked before about raising a Y child and teaching

them that everything is figure outable. You do that by encouraging them to ask questions by showing

them that not only is there no such thing as a stupid question, but that one becomes smart only

by asking questions. You have to make sure that you don't encourage their curiosity

by shutting them down or being short with them. You have to show them that you yourself ask questions

and raise your hand when you don't know. Show them that asking leads to answers and that all learning

and all science begins with the admission of ignorance. You can't learn if you think you already know,

Epoctetus used to say, and conversely, we learn by focusing on what we don't know. We get better by

asking, and curiosity doesn't kill us. It strengthens us. Thanks for listening to the Daily Dad

podcast. Please leave us a review. It helps.

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