Why Smart Parents Let Their Kids Teach Them
Forget the “because I said so” mindset, it’s time to start learning from your kids.
We’ve created a society that treats children like defective adults.
We assume they’re dumb, that they need constant correction, redirection, and must be filled with our “superior” knowledge.
But here’s the truth:
They’re not slow.
Your kids aren’t dumb.
They’re younger than you, but not beneath you.
They’re unfiltered, untamed, and unburdened by the bullshit you’ve normalized.
We act like children are supposed to sit down, shut up, and soak up adult wisdom like they’re empty vessels.
Most adults are the ones on autopilot, recycling outdated habits, drowning in stress, too prideful to admit how little they actually know.
Meanwhile, kids are on the front lines of culture.
They’re testing new tools, trying new words, exploring new ideas, and moving faster than any generation before them.
So here’s a wake-up call for every parent still clinging to the “I’m the adult so I’m right” mentality:
If you’re not learning from your kids, you’re falling behind…
Kids Are the Beta-Testers of the Future
Your kid knows how to use apps you’ve never even heard of.
They’re fluent in the digital language of memes, group chats, AI tools, and trends that most parents dismiss as “a waste of time.”
But those tools?
Those platforms?
They’re the same spaces shaping the future of business, education, and human connection.
You don’t have to surrender your leadership as a parent, you just need to evolve it.
Don’t be the tyrant who rules with fear and control.
Be the leader who’s strong enough to listen and humble enough to learn.
They’re Watching You, What Are You Teaching Them?
If you shut them down every time they share something new, they’ll stop trying.
If you mock their curiosity, they’ll hide it.
And eventually, they’ll learn to see you the same way you’ve been treating them:
Arrogant.
Unteachable.
Out of touch.
You don’t want that.
What you want is connection, and connection comes through conversation, mutual respect, and curiosity, not commands.
Flip the Script
Ask your kids what they’re into.
Ask them why they like it.
Let them teach you how to use a tool, beat a game, or understand a trend.
Not so you can be the “cool parent”, but so you can be the present parent.
When they feel seen, heard, and valued, they’ll invite you into their world.
That’s how you influence them.
That’s how you stay relevant in their eyes.
Not by pretending you know everything, but by showing them that learning never stops, even when you’re the one who drives the car.
Don’t Parent From a Pedestal
Parenting isn’t about proving you’re better.
It’s about showing them how to improve, and that starts with being open, adaptive, and genuine; you have the wisdom they need, and they have the insight you’ve forgotten.
Meet them halfway and watch your relationship and their development explode with possibilities and new paths opened up to both of you…
The future belongs to those who aren’t too proud to learn from it.
And in case you forgot: Your kids are the future.
- Zac Small