How to help a child who thinks they know everything

Your child isn’t deliberately trying to give you a hard time. Their know-it-all attitude may be a sign of perfectionism, or maybe they’re going through an oppositional phase, or maybe they don’t want to disappoint you. Other times, they may interpret your helpful comments as criticisms or rebukes. In order to protect themself, they may act as if they’re right, even if they know they’re wrong. And that can definitely be frustrating. To remedy the situation, try a different approach by formulating your interjections as questions rather than comments. For example, instead of saying the following:

“You forgot a period at the end of your sentence.”

Try saying:
“What do you put at the end of a sentence?”

If your child thinks they’re always right and acts like a know-it-all, it may be due to low self-esteem. They might be afraid of disappointing you, or that you won’t love them anymore if they admit that they don’t understanding something. If this is the case, try working on their self-esteem in the following ways:

• Highlight their achievements
• Avoid comparing them to others
• Acknowledge the value of what they’re saying
• Pay attention to what they’re passionate about
• Consider their opinions
• Encourage them to try new activities
• Etc.

Younger children tend to believe that the way they imagine or view the world is the whole truth. That’s perfectly normal—it’s all they know! And of course, they know all about it. From this perspective, it’s hard to blame them for their know-it-all attitude, and there’s really no point in contradicting them. The best thing is to deconstruct what they think they know by presenting them with a few facts. For example, if your child insists that they can get to the moon by climbing a ladder, try the following:
 

• Research facts about the moon together—make sure to point out how far the moon is from the Earth!
• Test their hypothesis by climbing a small ladder (safely, and with your help and supervision)
• Ask a question about the issue in the Alloprof Help Zone and get a quick academic explanation verified by our team. 
• Etc.

 
Ultimately, they’re sure to change their position.

Children never stop surprising us. For example, they may know the Italian national anthem by heart, but never seem to remember where they left their lunch box. Go figure, right? Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to acknowledge children whenever they teach us something. Here are a few examples of things you might say:

• “Now you’re teaching me something!”
• “Wow! I’m impressed—I could never remember all that!”
• “You really are a fast learner! I can tell you must read a lot!”
• Etc.

 
This way, maybe the next time you point out that your child is wrong, or if they’re forced to admit they don’t know the answer, their inner know-it-all will take a hike. There are a few reasons for this:

• You will have raised their self-esteem
• They will remember that they have other skills
• They’ll be acting like you (e.g., they’ll admit that they just learned something new)