Being a rational thinker means that there’s a correlation between your beliefs and your reason for thinking those beliefs. For example, we believe that the sky is blue because we see a blue sky every day – or at least we wish we did!

Thinking irrationally, then, would mean that we have beliefs that aren’t at all in line with the evidence that we have. For example, we might think that a co-worker dislikes us, yet they’ve never given us any reason to think that. This is irrational thinking.

Rational thinking also applies to actions. Our actions are considered rational if they align with the reason that we have for those actions.

Rational thoughts, decisions, actions, and beliefs are based on reason instead of emotion. They’re the decisions that we come to based on intellect. When we look for the evidence and facts instead of relying on opinion and emotions, we become a rational thinker. 

Children need to know how to think rationally because this kind of thinking enables them to analyse the pros and cons of any situation. No matter whether the situation is considered “good” or “bad”. Rational thinking teaches children to evaluate situations based on facts and evidence so that they can react accordingly, and with a greater understanding of the situation.

Rational thinking improves children’s ability to analyse and comprehend things, which then allows them to absorb new information faster. A rational thinker is inquisitive and takes the steps to learn things on its own instead of relying on what other people think and say about a situation, person, or event. By seeking more insight through logic and rational thinking and, therefore, looking deeper into things, children can understand things more holistically.

Preventing social injustice and prejudice starts with rational thinking. In a world of biased views and opinions, change and equality start with those who are able to take a step back and come to their own conclusions.

A rational thinker is a person whose thoughts, actions, and beliefs are in harmony. This is the kind of person that is trusted and respected by communities, companies, and social groups.

When we help our child to be a rational thinker, we’re equipping them with the tools they need to be leaders, changemakers and, most importantly, to trust themselves to make informed decisions.

Here are a few ways that you can start helping your child to be a rational thinker, no matter their age!

The younger a child is supported to start thinking rationally, the more confident they will be in voicing their opinions. Speaking up will become second nature. That’s why it’s good to start teaching your child to be a rational thinker as young as possible!

Here are a few ways to do this:

• Remember that babies are like sponges – they are learning every second of every day! Take time to read to your baby, talk to them, and sing to them to help them build vocabulary.
• Try not to dumb down your vocabulary and, instead, speak to them in the same way that you would an adult. When treated with respect, children will know that their opinions, voice, and feelings matter.
• Encourage your children to explain their ideas. Even the most outrageous statements and ideas came from somewhere! Get curious and give your child the opportunity to consider how they think. 
• Avoid asking your children to “do as they’re told” and, instead, be rational with them! Explain why you need them to put their clothes in the laundry or why you need their help in the kitchen. If they say they can’t do something, encourage them to think of ways to overcome the problems. 

Encourage your children to make a habit of reading by creating a reading challenge, gifting them new books, taking regular trips to the library, and having conversations with them about the material that they’re reading.

It doesn’t have to be a fiction novel to be educational, the idea is to encourage them to think and learn. If they prefer magazines and comics, that’s great – whatever gets their fire burning!

Look for ‘thinking errors’ that signal the opposite of rational thinking. This is critical for raising a rational thinker. For example:

• Should statements – “I should have passed that test…”
• All or nothing statements – “I’ll never be good at maths”
• Jumping to conclusions – “My teacher gave me a detention, she hates me”

Take a moment to (delicately) challenge your child when they voice statements like these. Ask them questions like:

“What proof do you have of that?”

“Can you be absolutely sure about that?”

“What proof do you have that the opposite is true?”

If your child is feeling pretty down, they might need you to come up with the answers for them. Eventually, you’ll have shown them exactly how to squash these thinking errors to create more positive thinking. It’s really all about practice. That is why we have different activities for teaching these skills in our ‘Future-proof Your Child’ program. 

Teaching your child about the difference between fact vs. opinion is a great way to raise a rational thinker. 

It’s important for children to know that opinions can be challenged, no matter whose opinions they are! Remember, once upon a time, humans thought the world was flat – the people who knew it to be round were considered insane!

Make a ‘fact vs. opinion’ game by using real-life examples that are relevant to them. If the topic is particularly interesting to them, encourage them to do some research into it and come up with their own conclusion or opinion that they can then share with you.

Although it is natural to want to solve our children’s problems for them, helping them to solve problems on their own is a great opportunity to teach your child how to think rationally.

When your child comes face to face with a problem, coach them through it. Ask them what the problem is, why it’s a problem, and what would be the best possible outcome. Then come up with ideas together as to how you can bridge the gap between the problem and the ideal outcome. Eventually, your child will naturally start using this process to solve problems without your help, and be on their way to becoming a logical and rational thinker.

It’s always going to be tricky helping your child to think rationally when you are doing the opposite to a rational thinker. Start by asking yourself how you can begin to think more rationally, and how you can demonstrate this to your children.

Instead of jumping to conclusions, consider all of the evidence of a situation. Take purposeful moments to breathe, think, and research (if necessary) to start thinking more rationally.

Leading by example and modelling behaviours is one of the very best ways to teach our children. By becoming a rational thinker yourself you are already helping to grow those same skills in your child. 

Suggest to your child that they start keeping a journal. Journals can be really helpful places to spend time verbalising difficult situations, confusing events, and things that we’re uncomfortable with.

By practising putting thoughts onto paper, your child will learn how to strategically work through situations instead of reacting emotionally. It also helps them to order their thoughts and to reflect on what they are focusing on from day to day.  

Help your child to become a curious rational thinker by encouraging them to question regular ideas. It could be the way a historical event or person is perceived or a current world issue that’s being discussed in the news and online.

By questioning ideas regularly, your children will start to understand the difference between fact and opinion so that they’re able to come to their own rational conclusions.

To become a rational thinker and to be able to make decisions based on intellect requires exactly that, intellect!

So, if you’re not sure where to get started, focus on having deeper conversations with your children, asking them for their opinion on certain events and why they feel that way, and giving them as much opportunity as possible to learn and discover the world around them.

Try this article where we look at 15 ways to improve your child’s critical thinking skills

Other resources worth a look:

https://parentingscience.com/teaching-critical-thinking/

https://www.parentingforbrain.com/critical-thinking-for-kids/

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