Friday, April 10, 2009

Seeing Children

I have been reminded several times lately about how important it is to really see children. Some of us grew up with the "seen and not heard" philosophy. We were supposed to be quite and polite. With these expectations, I don't think children were really seen. How can people really understand children when they don't talk to them, or let them talk. When they must sit and always wait for adult approval. I am so glad that my parents didn't raise us with this attitude. We laughed and played together. Yes, we had our hassles, too. We were seen.

Seeing children is also about being careful to avoid crippling labels that make children feel bad about themselves. Even when children are intense and dramatic, we can see them for their energy, creativity, and enthusiasm for life. When children seem shy and fearful, we can see them for their careful observation and study of a situation before jumping into new experiences.

Children need to be seen and they need adult mentors who are willing to offer support and guidance, mostly in the form of time. No other distractions, just focused attention. Gotta get those cell phones and TVs off and give kids the gift of being seen.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My thoughts exactly Glo.