Prologue: A Slow Philosophical Journey with Children

Part 1: Twelve Philosophical Journeys with Children

Chapter 1 Think and decide for yourself
Station 1: Authority “Why do I have to do homework?”
Station 2: Study “What if there was a clone that would study for you?”
Station 3: Freedom “I feel bad when my friends disagree with my opinion.”

Chapter 2: Stop and Think When Conflict Arose
Station 4: Insult “How do I protect myself when my friends tease me?”
Station 5: Courage “What should I do when my friend is being bullied?”
Station 6: Apology “What should I do if I wrong a friend?”
Station 7: Friendship “What should I do if I hate my friend too much?”

Chapter 3: Living with Others
Station 8: Appearance “Do I have to be pretty to be loved?”
Station 9: Love "Is it wrong for elementary school students to date?"
Station 10: Gender “Is it possible to eliminate prejudice?”

Chapter 4: Deepening Your Thoughts and Leading to a Mature Inner Self
Station 11: Happiness “What if you could enter a machine that would make you happy for the rest of your life?”
Station 12: Death “What is the reason to live and not die?”

Part 2 If you want to go on a philosophical journey with your child
Check out our family conversation styles

Chapter 5: Having Fun with Your Child
01 Sand Desert Type: How to Continue the Conversation?
02 I'm curious about what my child is thinking Type: How can I hear what my child is thinking?
03 Conversation Type: Expanding from everyday conversation to philosophical conversation

Chapter 6: 3 Steps to a Philosophical Conversation That Sparks Your Child's Curiosity
Step 1: Listening “What does the child mean by what he or she is saying?”
Step 2: Asking Questions “How should I ask questions?”
Step 3: Discover “What book should I talk about?”

Epilogue The world is made of sky, clouds, and sunlight.
References
Americas

“Why do you think so?” “What do you think?”
The moment you start asking questions, your child's life changes!

What are the benefits of studying philosophy? Studying philosophy with children is like going on a journey.
We see, hear, feel and think about countless lives on our travels.
The same goes for philosophy.
Philosophy explores what a good life is, what important values ​​​​in life are, such as happiness, freedom, and friendship, and how to act rightly.
Just as the experience of traveling and encountering the vast world greatly develops both body and mind, a child's world also expands infinitely through philosophy.


The author, an elementary school teacher of 14 years and a mother of two, has spent thousands of hours talking and counseling with children in schools for over a decade, and has witnessed firsthand how philosophy can significantly enhance children's growth.
Children who have developed their thinking skills through philosophical conversations do not give up on any problem and instead find new ways to break through.
When a child who hates a friend so much because they growl and fight whenever they make eye contact, the child who studies philosophy asks questions like, "What is a fight?" and "What is friendship?" to find answers to "What meaning does that problem have in our lives?"


"The Philosophy Bus" is a guidebook that helps children discover the seeds of thought dormant in their hearts through philosophy, nurture them, and teach them how to think broadly and deeply in new directions.
For parents who want to talk and share thoughts with their children but don't know how, the author has included philosophical conversations he has had with children.
From keywords that are closely related to children's daily lives, such as 'study', 'appearance', and 'friendship', to philosophical keywords that children do not usually encounter, such as 'freedom', 'happiness', and 'death', we will guide you on a twelve-part philosophical journey using various topics as stops.
Through this book, the author suggests that parents hold their children's hands and discover the meaning hidden in every corner of life.

Look into the child's true heart
Twelve philosophical journeys that will awaken your thinking power!

“Kids these days don’t think.”
Parents say they have no idea what their children are thinking.
They think that they are just letting their days go by without a second thought, oblivious to their parents' worries, such as, "It would be better if you behaved like this," or "It would be better if you focused a little more on your studies."
However, the author, who has been having philosophical conversations with children for over 10 years, says, "All children in the world are philosophers."
If you feel your child is not thinking, it's either because you haven't discovered the seeds of thought that lie dormant in your child's mind yet, or because you haven't asked the right questions to teach your child how to think.
Children desperately wait for their parents to listen to them and ask them questions.

This book is divided into two parts.
In Part 1, we travel to 12 philosophy stations where children's minds expand.
From authority to study, appearance, love, and death, at each stop a new philosopher boards the bus to think, question, and debate with the children.
In particular, we introduce methods for conversation using children's books, and at the end of each stop, we have prepared a philosophy travel map that provides an overview of philosophical concepts.


Part 2 contains specific conversation methods to help each family embark on a philosophical journey.
If you are not a parent who frequently talks to your child, even carrying on an everyday conversation may not be easy.
For such parents, we introduce everything from how to have good everyday conversations with your child to how to expand the conversation to philosophical conversations.
In addition, we organized the ‘3 steps of philosophical conversation’ into ① how to listen to a child, ② how to ask questions, and ③ how to choose children’s books.


Philosophical conversations are more powerful when parents and children engage in them at home.
Because children want to share new ideas they discover with their parents more than anyone else.
The author says that philosophizing with children is simpler and easier than you might think.
There is no need to feel pressured to provide answers to children's profound questions.
Simply asking children what they think and why they think that way, and then admiring the wonders of this world together, is enough.
This book goes beyond simply listening to your child and reading their true feelings; it will serve as a kind and pleasant guide for exploring the world of philosophy with your child.