I want my 9-year-old to understand why we say “parents know more”. She often resists and says “I know more” so I have to remind her that the legal age to make independent life decisions is 18 for a reason. She understands science better, so I used science today to explain it:
Our brain has different sections. The cortex or cerebrum is the big thinker. It is the part in charge of planning, understanding consequences, problem-solving, and making decisions. It’s the “smart supervisor” of the whole brain, the blue part.
The front part of the cortex, called the prefrontal cortex, keeps growing from the day you are born. By around age 18, it is about 80 percent developed. Almost there but it will be fully grown when you are 25. That means as you get older, you can understand things more deeply and make smarter decisions. The light blue part is the “ultimate planner” which is keeps getting better.
This is not about the brain being too small or not having enough neurons. Let’s call the brain’s neurons “little scientists”.
What’s still developing are the connections between them. Imagine you have 15 billion of scientists inside your mind but they don’t yet know how to talk to each other 🥺. Slowly, they learn each other’s language and start communicating.
Imagine a team of scientists talking to each other in a “messenger kid group chat” providing you with guidance to make clear, calm, and wise decisions.
Mohsin With E 
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