When parents have skin in the game with their kids learning - the world opens up

Parents with skin in the game.

As Ana Lorena Fabrega (Chief Learning Evangelist for Synthesis ) shares in her newsletter there are many reasons why Parents need to have skin in the game with their kids' education. "Skin in the game?is a simple but powerful idea, best described by Nassim Taleb. It means “having an exposure to the real world, and paying a price for its consequences, good or bad.”

As a parent, I want to have SKIN IN THE GAME when it comes to my kids' learning and education.

So often we talk about having skin in the game as entrepreneurs or in business.

But what about being directly involved, hands and heart in, with our kids' learning?

More and more parents are waking up to the idea that having some connection (skin in the game) and involvement with their kids' learning helps us to fill gaps and identify opportunities for our unique kids.

5 years ago, I decided to dig into what my kids were learning at school. They were still enrolled in regular school, and I began to explore what was in the curriculum (at their local public school).

My intent? I wanted to understand how my kids' learning was being shaped. I was a bit embarrassed that I had no clue what and how, and with whom, they were learning.

Like many, as a dutiful mum, I packed my two kids' lunches and sent them off to school for 8 hours.

It felt like a hand off - almost like 'leave it and set it' and hope for the best? Something didn't sit right about it all.

But, I would remind myself, I was no teacher. Leave it to the experts, right?

Then one day it struck me.

While I was spending all day working to support adult entrepreneurs with executing on their visions by: developing executive function skills, communication skills, relationships skills and coaching them on bolstering vital emotional intelligence...I stopped to think about my own children.

What if we started our kids' lives with this very coaching and support?

I asked myself (and my partner) - how are we providing our own children with the very best mentors, learning situations and autonomy? How are we setting them up for success proactively for today's world?

So, I spent a bit more time exploring how to support, advocate and collaborate with my young kids (then only 7 and 9 years) to have more skin in the game.

My mission? To find relevant and inspiring ways to learn for today's world.

• I explored how up to date their learning curriculum was - were they learning life skills like: money/financial literacy, EQ/ SEL (social emotional learning), learning how to learn, how to think critically, how to collaborate effectively. My results? They were learning almost none of these effectively.
• I connected with my kids to discover areas where they felt stuck or confused. My results? My daughter was quietly and sadly very confused by how math was being taught in her huge class. My son was bored and not being challenged enough in most of his classes. So, we made a plan together to help them to feel unstuck.
• I collected new resources, models, ideas for how to make learning relevant and fun for my kids (and others). My results? I discovered there was an ENTIRE world of education innovation happening all over the world. If I only looked proactively there was endless new pathways for my kids to explore.

Having skin in the game didn't mean I became my children's teachers. It did mean I connected with them on new levels. I discovered areas in their learning where they were stuck, stagnant, confused and stressed. In many cases, it was not because my kids were bad students (whatever that means), but rather the learning environment or material was outdated, inefficient or completely stuck.

So, as a family we explored new options. We retooled, explored, experimented and took back the keys to learning.

And you know what happened?

Learning exploded. For all of us.

Both kids began to make powerful decisions about following their own interests and exploring what learning meant to them. Each of them are on their own unique journey with remarkable mentors (in and out of school) helping to guide and support them.

And it wasn't just my kids' learning that took off. Two years ago I decided to focus my expertise in business and entrepreneurship on supporting education innovation in whatever way I could. I haven't looked back.

Q: I'd love to hear how you've got skin in the game with your kids' learning. How have you been proactive about their education or become more involved? What have you seen happen as a result?