White Chocolate Pretzels and The Art of Critical Thinking
Sometimes in your life, you stumble across an act of genius. Sometimes, that genius takes place in your home.
Like with most great stories, what I am about to share today starts with a challenge, an obstacle, a problem to be solved. My mother-in-law had a 'hankering' for some white chocolate-covered pretzels.
Hillbilly Definition #1
Hankering (noun) - a strong desire
When there is a problem, you should always know who to go to for help and advice. My mother-in-law knew precisely who to contact - my second-oldest daughter. For the rest of this story, I will call her Sunshine.
Sunshine has a remarkable knack for doing anything kinesthetic. She has excellent control over her motions and movements. She makes many things look easy, including arts, sports, and decorative cooking.
Hillbilly Definition #2
knack (noun) - a skill or an ability to do something easily and well
White Chocolate - Covered Pretzels
Like I said, my mother-in-law was craving white chocolate-covered pretzels. She wanted that perfect blend of salty and sweet. And she knew exactly who to ask for help from.
On this particular day, Sunshine's culinary studio was the dining room table. Sprawled across the table was a baking sheet, a bag of pretzels, and a big ol' bowl holding that delicious white chocolate.
Growing up, my Mama would make white chocolate-covered pretzels. I was even invited (aka told) to help out occasionally. Dipping the pretzels is not for the weak heart or mind. The challenge was always to be fast enough so the chocolate would not harden again but go slow enough to ensure more chocolate was on the pretzels than on the baking sheet.
This sounds simple, but trust me, it is not! One might think that you can just use your fingers. That would be a rookie mistake. Burnt fingers and only partially covered pretzels are frowned upon.
So, for most of my life, I have watched many people, myself included, fumble around trying to use a fork or two to dip the pretzels into the chocolate. I am metaphorically slamming my head against the wall just thinking about it.
I really did feel sorry for Sunshine. Poor child! Sunshine is so humble. She serves with a smile. She is the first to offer a helping hand, and she always knows how to step in to help, even when she has not been asked. I believed in her, but I did feel sorry.
I left my bedroom (aka my home office) and headed towards the kitchen to refill my water. Lo and behold, Sunshine was smiling. What a big and beautiful smile!
But wait! I did not see any forks. THERE WERE NO FORKS! What kind of madness was going on in my home? White chocolate-covered pretzels and no forks!?
The Art of Critical Thinking
Never in a million years could I have envisioned what happened next.
When faced with a problem, you must be free to ask questions about your challenge. Opening yourself to evaluate and re-evaluate is an opportunity to see the challenge in a new light.
For all of my childhood, I had used forks ... Sunshine was holding a pair of chopsticks.
"How did you come up with that idea?" I exclaimed.
With a sweet smile, Sunshine said, "I knew I needed something smaller to grip the pretzels better."
Brilliant! Amazing! An act of genius!
Sunshine found the right tool for the right job. She did not place herself in a box and resign herself to how everyone else completed this task in the past. She critically examined the issue and came up with the best possible solution. Chopsticks!
We Must Encourage Critical Thinking
How many times have I stifled my children's critical thinking? How many times as a Dad and as an educator have I pushed my kiddos towards a path that I felt was best even when it might not have been the best path?
I was really, really proud of Sunshine that day. I was not ecstatic about white chocolate-covered pretzels. I was ecstatic about how my daughter looked at the problem and solved it.
Although I am sure I have occasionally not allowed my kiddos to think through a problem, I am glad Sunshine felt she had the freedom to be creative and work outside the box.
This story reminds me to step back a bit and let my kiddos think through a problem first. Although it is easy to step in and fix the issue, my quick involvement only addresses the immediate problem.
But stepping in too quickly does not address the long-term issue. Someday, I will not be there when a problem arises. My kiddos will need to exercise critical thinking on their own. I hope when that day comes, Sunshine and my other children will not say, "Dad never let me learn how to overcome obstacles on my own."
Instead, I hope they all say my wife and I helped them embrace critical thinking. I want to celebrate moments like this because I have complete confidence that what I see today is just a reflection of what is possible.
They tasted great and looked beautiful. All because my daughter knew how to see a problem and develop a creative solution.
And that smile! What a beautiful smile!
Keeping Critical Thinking Simple
The following is not an all-encompassing list of how to think critically, but it is a place to start.
- Be honest - If you can't be honest about your problem, your abilities, and the resources at your disposal, it will be challenging to be a critical thinker. On the other hand, don't give the problem more credit than it deserves.
- Create smaller pieces - While a big problem can be overwhelming, smaller chunks are manageable. Your first goal is not the finish line. Your first goal is the next step/obstacle in front of you.
- Look through another lens - Sometimes, you have to look at the problem, your abilities, and your resources from a different perspective. Seeing something in a different light might help you to find a better solution.
- Keep it simple - Don't overcomplicate the problem or the solution. Sometimes, you already have access to what you need to address your obstacles.
- Be creative - Sometimes, you don't have access to what you need in the moment. Don't be afraid to innovate.
- Never give up - Failure occurs when you stop learning, thinking, and finding solutions to problems.
I Want to Hear From You
- Has there ever been a time that you overstepped, which prevented your child from exercising critical thinking?
- How do you encourage your child(ren) to embrace critical thinking?
- Please share a story so we can celebrate your kiddo also.
Thanks for stopping by!
The number of times my daughters have come up with ideas which made me say, "why did I never think of that before?" I think that sometimes kids can come up with better ideas due to the fact that they haven't yet been influenced by others showing them their own ways of doing things.
Guaranteed I would make an absolute me of this! 😅
@homeedders - It is incredible to think of how much diversity exists within our homes. There are diverse ways of thinking, many different hopes and dreams, and so much potential.
I never want to be a dad who limits my kiddos' potential.
One hundred percent agree!
I love her shirt first of all haha we need more common sense stuff like that!
I enjoy that she’s the go to resource for this for your MIL. Great for her! She gets a challenge and solves it, deliciously I might add.
It’s so important to teach and help kids with critical thinking skills! I know we need more of that in the world and I have faith in the kids we are raising. The petulant adult-children that we see freaking out on videos and calling people names for disagreeing with them - those are the minority and they will be handled accordingly. The more we raise our kids in a way that promotes critical thinking, reason, freedom and appreciation of others but also respect for how society functions - the better we will be overall. As I said I have faith we can turn this ship around and head in the right direction!
@cmplxty - Thanks for interacting with my post and for the positive feedback. I am glad that all of my kiddos are learning their areas of expertise within the family.
I agree we have the ability (and the responsibility) to impact this generation and the generations to come. But we must equip our children to do the same. When we are gone, they need to value critical thinking, reason, freedom, and charity towards others.
Again, thanks for stopping by!
This is very educative. Your daughter id really a sunshine, she is has pretty has you.
It is very good to always allow you child to make their own choices, someone like me when i was a kids i remember asking my father that i want to learn out to repair a generator but he make another option for me. When i was about going to higher school i have in mind to study a mechanical engineering but he make another choice for me which is really affecting me today, so i determined that i will never make a choice for my children but rather suggest.
@mosupholstery - Thank you for commenting on my post.
As parents, there is a fine line between giving good advice and making decisions for your children. I am sorry to hear your father made choices for you that still impact you today.
I am glad you are letting your children make their own choices. Have a great day!
Excellent and delicious, congratulations for this recipe.