Used to think you had to explain every little thing... but watching my nephew learn to ride a bike last summer totally flipped that for me. Just had to stand there and let him wobble.
It struck me how my grandfather taught that way too. He'd point out the bud union but then step back, letting me learn the hard way which branch was actually dead. That quiet trust in letting you figure it out was the real lesson.
Yeah exactly like what @anna_martin is getting at. I mean, you can tell someone a branch is dead all day, but it doesn't click until they try to bend it and feel that snap themselves. The hard part is just biting your tongue and letting them make the cut, even if it's wrong. They'll remember that mistake way longer than any lecture. Idk, maybe it's just me but that hands-on screw-up is what builds real confidence, not getting it perfect the first time.