Why Adults Should Listen, Learn, Trust, and Expect More From Kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-bjOJzB7LY

At just twelve years old, Adora Svitak gave a TED talk, saying that she hates the word “childish” when it’s being used to mean “irresponsible behavior” or “irrational demands”.

"We kids still dream about perfection and that's a good thing because in order to make anything a reality you have to dream about it first,” she said in her TED talk. “I think that adults should start learning from kids."

She also said that "it shouldn't just be teachers at the head of the classroom telling them do this, do that. The students should teach their teachers. Learning between grown ups and kids should be reciprocal," she said.

Unfortunately, that system is very uncommon and is almost never used. Her theory is that it's all about trust. Adults always seem to have a restrictive attitude towards kids, don’t you think?

"Although adults may not be quite at the level of totalitarian regimes, kids have no or very little say in making the rules," Adora joked. "When really the attitude should be reciprocal. Adults often underestimate kids' abilities. Now we love a challenge, but when expectations are low, trust me, we will sink to them."

"The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adults, but rather better adults than you guys have been. The way progress happens is because new generations and new eras grow and develop and become better than the previous ones. It's the reason we aren't in the Dark Ages anymore," she said.