The Beauty of Childhood

The Beauty of Childhood

Such an exciting time in a person’s life. Just a few years on the Earth and there’s so much to learn and explore! After accomplishing some of the crucial milestones, such as walking and talking, kids are ready to roll. Filled with energy and wonderment, these little balls of light just want to get into everything. They want to understand with questions of “why?”. They don’t care about their dirt covered jeans or paint all over the floor or food on their face. They want to run fast, climb high, jump over, crawl under and just get going. To where? The future of being able. 

Children are a beautiful part of the human experience and can teach us about our own lives as adults. They believe in magic and the possibility of nearly anything. Their parents are superheroes and untouchable. They can grow up and become anything they want; dreams such as a rocket scientist, a singer, a baseball player and even the President. 

They laugh really loud and speak even louder, hoping to be heard. They try new things and focus on moving through as many toys as possible. They have big emotions which can come with screams and cries but also big hugs and sweet words. 

But when does the excitement stop? Where does the magic go? Why do they stop believing? 

Another Brick in the Wall 

At some point in a person’s life they are told to “grow up”, “get real” and “stop being so childish”. It’s time to put on big people pants and get into the “real world”. I truly believe maturity is beneficial to human development but when do children lose faith in their hopes and dreams? Why do they stop believing? When children reach a certain age they are told to sit and listen to an authority figure who knows best. Typically a teacher and society takes the child’s magic replaces it with pencils and notebooks. Wonderment is replaced with memorizing. Dreams are replaced with reality. “You’re not good enough to do that, to be that. You’re not smart enough to know that, to think that. You’re just not the best and can’t be.” And soon children become teens who become adults who are placed in 9-5 jobs working until retirement. Sounds bleak? For many it can be. 

What would it be like if the glorious parts of childhood were illuminated throughout adulthood? What would that look like? Messy? Maybe. Loud? Perhaps. What about determined, exciting, fun, playful. What if those dreams were worked towards everyday with the help of a guide and supports. 

Attention Disorders on the Rise

According to the CDC, 6.1 million children, ages 2-17 (3.3 million or more than half being 12-17years) are diagnosed with ADHD. Or perhaps there’s a rebellion of the human spirit to not want to be trapped, sitting in a chair most of the day. It still wants to go. And schools say stay. 

I worked in some schools which had children sitting for nearly 5 hours a day. Some schools’ main goal was to keep the kids in the chair and students would face consequences if they would not stay. Half the battle was getting the kids to sit. 

Can we find a happy medium? Can children be rewarded with freedom to explore after sitting for a lesson? 

I hope to balance the enthusiasm of the child’s spirit with the structure of an education. Most classrooms are teacher centered. My groups will be child centered with guidance. There will be time to work on self-regulation as well as time to be curious and free.