Idolising Children?

Today’s Sunday Age editorial says we need to talk to children more to help with their language development. Of course.

But, again we see another example of how our idolising of children impacts on our children’s lives. We are busy driving them around to music, dance and swimming lessons we are forgetting the basics.

The bigger question needs to be - what do we have to say to our children?

If we acknowledge that children are capable of understanding the world at a level of development relevent to them we have lots to say. How do we explain economics to a 6 years old? How do we answer all the questions they have in a way that is supportive, rather than dismissive?

Parents all have their own unique ways. And, soemtimes we will be tired and not up to it?

We don’t need more parenting books with the right answers for each question appropriate to a child’s age. This is about us learnign as well, and answering as best we can? Or still, find ways to get children to find their own answers.

At a local school they have a “what I’m thinking” board where children put up questions and then other students try and help work out where to find the answers. This is the education must head, in a way that teaches children to be active (rather than passive learners) in the 21st century.