48 August 2013 www.womanthismonth.com The case of the iPad mini Use a very simplistic analogy to see how the thinking hats can help through brainstorming and discussion. For instance, imagine your child wants to take his/her new iPad to school so they can take it on their play date that afternoon. The White Hat: Is there a place to keep it? Is it allowed in school? The Red Hat: I have a feeling it’s a bad idea. The Black Hat: What if it got smashed in my bag? What if I lost it? What if I get into trouble for bringing it? What if we end up arguing over who is playing it first? The Yellow Hat: Just think of all the other things you can do if you don’t take it: swimming, football, painting…what else? The Green Hat: If you are not taking it, what else can we do? Bring it at pick-up time. Don’t take it and go swimming instead. The Blue Hat: We need to decide in the next 10 minutes, otherwise we will be late! Have a go at supporting your children through the thinking hat process. Buy some coloured hats and wear them when choosing what to cook. Use them as a family when deciding on a vacation or how to celebrate a birthday. It’s helpful for parents too. The main message: Support your children so that one day, they can support themselves! g Dr Clare Beckett-McInroy is a certified professional coach, who works with individuals and organisations to enable them to reach their potential. Email [email protected]. REPORT | parenting Six thinking hats Consider exploring Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats (2009) to help support your child’s decision-making: l The White Hat is about looking at what information known or needed. lThe Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. l The Black Hat is judgment – the devil’s advocate or why something may not work. l The Yellow Hat symbolises brightness and optimism. l The Green Hat focuses on creativity, possibilities, alternatives and new ideas. l The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process, keeping things on track and stating what has been accomplished.
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