The very best part of opening a discussion with a child at the end of the holiday season is having a chance to pause and think together. It’s not only an opportunity to hear their thoughts, but it can set the tone for a very think-y new year!

Right about now, it seems as though empathy, compassion and connection are in short supply. If there’s a way to help our kids keep these things at the front of their minds, why not make it a priority? If it helps us grown-ups to recapture some of our sense of “we”, then all the better!

Believe it or not, doing philosophy with your kids is an amazing way to help these moments to happen. It’s true that philosophy is incredibly effective in helping kids develop essential thinking skills and equipping them for their adventures out in the world, but it’s also true that it can bring incredible connection and closeness with children.

Why, as parents, do we have such a hard time looking like fools in front of our kids? Why, after centuries of wise fools, haven’t we embraced the notion that sometimes, in order to dig out important ideas, we might have to be a little foolish ourselves?