Image: Flickr/April Moore-Harris

“In the education of children there is nothing like alluring the interest and affection, otherwise you only make so many asses laden with books.” (Michel De Montaigne)

A donkey is a beast of burden; it carries whatever is put on its back. But we want more for our children than that. We want them to be more than complacent carriers of book-smarts. We want them to find excitement and joy in the process of learning. We want them to be passionate innovators, producers, and world-changers.

So, rather than enroll little Sally in extra math tutoring to help her SAT scores eight years from now, start encouraging the natural sense of wonder and curiosity she already has inside. Find out what she loves and encourage her to follow it. The most interesting, successful, and happy people in life aren’t always the most educated; they are usually the most curious. They are curious about the world and the people around them.

The only way that you can instill this kind of education in your child is to “allure their interest and affection”. Show them that learning is a part of your own life and encourage them to follow what interests them. After all, the last thing this world needs is more stubborn jackasses who simply carry whatever is put upon them. Goodness knows we have enough of those.