Hand them a pilgrimage. Long, hard, self-chosen work that AI can speed up but cannot choose for them.
Praise the question, not the answer. Aim the warmth in your voice at persistence and curiosity — not the grade.
Let them see you want something hard. Volition is modeled before it’s chosen. Show them the messy middle.
| “Good job!” | “What was the hardest part?” |
| “You’re so smart.” | “What did you try before it worked?” |
| “Here, let me.” | “What’s your next move?” |
| “Did you get an A?” | “What question are you chasing now?” |
| “That’s wrong.” | “Where do you think it breaks?” |
| “Just ask the AI.” | “What would you guess first?” |
Protect productive struggle, not maximum struggle. Keep the difficulty where your child can just barely succeed, and hold your hands close enough to catch them — still enough to let them climb. Not absent. Not intervening. Present, and restrained.