We are born, with a huge desire to learn. So absorbed by our world, watching everything, taking it all in!Just take the time to observe babies, they are listening all of the time, recognizing their parents voices, their eyes following them wherever they go. Constantly exploring and discovering their world.
So learning is instinctive, it is a huge part of being a human. It begins with observation, observing our surroundings and also observing our reaction. We spend so much of our childhood observing and teaching ourselves. We develop so many of our co ordination skills and problem solving skills, during play.
Play is such a huge part of our learning, that is why it is so important that our children are left to play and explore for most of their day. They tend to play games, that mirror what we as parents do. They also play games to resolve conflicts within themselves and with others. I have witnessed this many a time with my girls.
We tend to believe, that we need to fill our children up with learning, as though they were born empty. As though we (as in the older generation) need to take on the role of educator and show them how to learn. But we are all so inquisitive, so full of marvel and appreciation and we arrive with all the tools we need to learn. To learn by experimenting and by example. An ability to think for ourselves and inquire when we need to.
What we as adults need to do is to protect their child's natural skill for learning,to not let it get squashed by the demands of the educational system. Yes our children can learn when they are forced to. But they learn so much better when they are left to themselves, to tap into their own abilities and discover what works best for them.
So often, parents focus on what they want their children to achieve, what we believe they need to succeed, instead of focusing on what their needs are right now. We can get carried away by our expectations, by other people's expectations and end up missing or ignoring the things that really fascinate our children, the things that they want to learn.
True learning is happening all of the time, our children hold the key to their own growth, we just need to let them be. To be there when they need us, but to allow them discover the answers for themselves, so that they grow up knowing that they can achieve what they want.
We learn through doing, through example, so if you wish for your child to be healthy and empowered, then let that be who you are. Create the world that you want for them, be passionate, eat well, and fill their lives with passionate people.
Learning is meant to be fun, it is meant to be playful. Like I said it happens all of the time, when we use our imagination, when we let go and immerse ourselves in nature. It happens when we follow our interests and when we make mistakes. Every second we live is an opportunity to learn, we just have to remain open to it, just like our children are!
