It must be bewildering to be a kid. The world is a confusing and illogical place…and so little of it is explained to them at first. And their brains are still developing, to boot.

Imagine what things would feel like if you didn’t have object permanence (and kids don’t until they’re around a year old)! Imagine falling asleep in the car or in the stroller and waking up hours later, alone in a pitch-black room. Imagine you’ve never been in a classroom and sat at something called a “desk” for the entire day…and then suddenly this is your life. Imagine learning that, in English, there are three words that sound the same but mean totally different things (“Mary,” “merry,” and “marry”—although this may depend on your accent) and that this is not at all uncommon. Imagine you spent most of your existence in the safe bubble of your parents’ care and then suddenly you’re a teenager and there are real—even life-or-death—consequences to so much of what you want to do.

They’ve literally never done this before. This is their first time on the planet. They are trying to get up to speed. And again, everything is insane! Society is a mess. Rules are contradictory. Language is ridiculous. Stuff is always changing.

Of course things are hard. They’re hard for adults, too! So give them some grace. Be patient. Explain and explain again. Answer their questions. Then be patient again. They need it. We all do.

P.S. Helping our kids learn and watching them struggle isn’t always easy—for us or them. That’s why we created our Luctor et Emergo challenge coin. It’s a reminder to support them and help them learn, but also to let them try to solve problems themselves. It will help them build the confidence they need to overcome life’s challenges.

Get your Luctor et Emergo Medallion at the Daily Dad Store today!

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