“My child is honestly, just SO, uniquely intelligent!” – Said every mother, every day, everywhere in the world. #truestory. Haha! And every single mother on planet earth is correct! We are all born with a unique and amazing combination of gifts at our disposal - and as a mother it is a truly amazing and on-going delight to watch these talents, gifts and skills unfolding in their lives - and ours.
Children share with geniuses an open, inquiring, uninhibited quality of mind.
—Chauncey Guy Suits
Quite frankly I think children are far wiser than most adults. They are also more honest! Not always more practical, hehe, but in their defence… lessons are generally best learnt through experience and not dictation. Their uninhibited approach to life is precisely what makes them such wise little souls.
My most recent “parent teacher” meeting, in short, went something like this: Your son is an enormously friendly, caring and attentive young boy who is also very popular with his peers. He is very bright and is coping well on all academic levels… there is just one concern – he tends to be a little ‘rude’ towards his teachers.
Mom naturally hits mild >panic mode< and asks “Could you please give me an example of this, so that I can understand the context” – at which point it was explained to me that my son had interjected his teacher as she was explaining a proposed game concept which was intended to illustrate what she had just taught the class, only to exclaim “it’s not going to work”. And although he was apparently correct at the end of the day, it had not gone down too well with the teacher.
Now, I understand the whole “pupil to teacher” respect boundary and no child should ever be intentionally disrespectful, but I couldn’t help but smile and giggle internally at my proud mommy moment, because essentially - my child had dented the teachers ego because of his foresight.
90% of the time and via the feedback of other parents and teachers in general, my little boy is widely regarded as a well-mannered and very respectful young boy (except around mommy of course, haha!) – So what shall I do with the above information?
I will tell you what I will do - other than encouraging a slightly more ‘sociably acceptable’ approach for ‘verbal deliverance” – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING – that’s what.
Our children are multi-talented. They are skilled and very wise individuals! They see things from a perspective that is not restricted by most social conditioning. They say it like it is and they should be encouraged to continue to do so!
My son recently joined ‘science club’ as an extra mural and he loves it. So much so, that after his fist lesson, he requested that we do a repeat of his first experiment over the weekend. We did, and mom recorded it. Immediately after which, it was requested of me to “please upload it to my Youtube channel” – well, he didn’t have a Youtube channel, but it seemed as good a time as any – to create one for him. Which, I did. He is soooo excited that he now has his own channel and cannot wait to think of more things to upload!
He only has one video uploaded at present, but go ahead and subscribe to his channel (be a sport) – If his enthusiasm is anything to go by… there will be plenty more to come – and as his experience and confidence with it grows, so shall the content J
Welcome to “Jude’s Journal” https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn1sJg3PjTXiI5oPmpKoIRA
“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
― Plato
As mothers, we want nothing less than the best for our children, and I just think that if a little more ‘freedom of expression’ was allowed, rather than so much of the ‘you will conform and you will perform’ approach, we might have a very different up and coming generation of children. (Don’t get me wrong here…) I am NOT referring to the whole ‘new age’ approach to parenting – I am simply saying, that children should be allowed to develop their unique individuality (within reason) so that they can find their true passion as adults.
I watched an introductory video at my sons school in Grade 1 and its pertinence has never left me. I hope it resonates with you too.
Until next time…
