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In a small paper library on an island, a mother reads a slim guide in an armchair under a warm lamp while her son stands on a step stool to take a book from the shelf.

Insight · Thinking and debate · 5 min read

Teaching a 12-year-old to argue the other side

Asking a twelve-year-old to argue for the side they disagree with can feel strange. It’s one of the best ways to build fair, careful thinking.

Theme · Thinking and the classics

StatusIn preparation · the full piece will follow our opening

Why it’s worth doing

Around twelve, many children start forming strong opinions. That’s healthy. Arguing the other side teaches them to understand a view before they reject it, and often makes their own view stronger.

How to start

Choose a low-stakes topic: should school start later, should homework be optional. Ask your child for the best argument for the side they don’t hold, then switch. Praise a good argument, whichever side it’s on.

Understand a view before rejecting it.

The short version

What it builds

Empathy, careful reasoning and the confidence to disagree respectfully. These are habits of good leaders, and they help children resist one-sided arguments online.

What you’ll take away

  1. 01Understand a view before rejecting it.
  2. 02Start with low-stakes topics.
  3. 03Praise a good argument on either side.

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