Did you ever think about some future event, playing out in your mind how the scene might sound or feel as well as the impact of various responses? Maybe it was a visualization of how to approach a friend about a sensitive topic, how to respond to a particular troubling situation you’re concerned about, or what to do on your first day of vacation. If you have, congratulations. You’ve just increased brain connectivity in the “salience network.” In practical terms, that means you’ll likely show less impulsiveness in decision-making and find it easier to choose delayed rewards over immediate rewards. At least that’s what the results of a study conducted by Warren Bickel of the Addiction Recovery Research Center at the Fralin biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech. 

That’s great news for parents. It suggests that teaching our children to “think ahead,” to think about the results of various actions they can take in response to future situations, may actually increase brain connectivity in areas of the brain associated with choosing long-term rewards over immediate rewards. It will help them act with thoughtfulness rather than simply act impulsively. None of us want our children to engage in impulsive actions. We want them to act wisely, giving thought to the potential outcomes. This study suggests a way we can teach them to act wisely. Specifically, we simply “train” our children to think ahead. Encourage them to imagine future events with all their related sights, sounds, and feelings. Here are 3 times you can do this. 

• When your children are faced with a decision about which activity they desire to engage in, help them imagine both options in full color and sound. Which one “feels” like the most enjoyable or rewarding? Why?
• When you have a family activity planned, build anticipation for the activity by imagining the activity with your children. Talk about the sights, sounds, and physical sensations you might experience during this activity.
• As you approach a major event in your children’s lives, imagine the sights, sounds, and physical sensations of that event before it happens. For instance, talk about high school graduation as it approaches. Talk about “the big game” or the trip to grandma’s house before they occur.

You don’t have to sit down, close your eyes, and meditate. Simply converse about these events ahead of time. “Remember the smell of grandma’s house?” “I wonder what you’ll feel like when you jump in the pool?” “I bet you’ll hear some cheering when you graduate.” “I wonder if winning the race would feel different than coming in third? How might it feel different?” Simply “look” into the future and enjoy the conversation. You’ll be reducing impulsivity and building a stronger ability to decide between immediate and delayed rewards in the future…all while building your relationship as well. Imagine that!