Sunday, January 7, 2007
children learning
There are so many people writing wonderful blogs about schooling (home and otherwise) but I wonder how people influence their children to become excited about learning and curious about the world. I grew up in a family where curiosity and intellectual expression were rewarded the way saying "please" and "thank you" are rewarded in most families. Learning and good grades were so expected that it wouldn't have occurred to any of us that there were other choices. Keep in mind that we grew up before television was omnipresent and obviously way before the internet. (Yes, it was the 17th century - the cat's out of the bag.) Now that I and my friends are beginning to have grandchildren in this time with so many other influences than ourselves, I am seeing the impact of many other elements and influences on not only what a child learns and experiences, but also (and perhaps more importantly) how a child is prepared to learn and experience. Not unlike gardening, a child needs good soil and good mulch as well as seeds and food. So I'm wondering whether any Rare Readers have thought about this and, if so, whether you have ideas about enriching children's soil and mulch. (And apologies for the slightly clumsy analogy, it's just that it's so perfectly apt.)
I think that's key. A family's attitude and expectations about learning, books, culture, etc., means so much.
And also, tying in with your soil and mulch, a close friend recently told me about an expression she'd heard, that it's parents' job "to keep the weeds away" from their children as they grow. How perfect! It's so important to monitor the outside influences and what they're exposed to, both the good and the bad. I know of too many parents who simply don't take that seriously (or perhaps they simply have other ideas on what constitutes bad influences than my husband and I have, grin). Whether it's people, movies, music, news, etc., it's so important for parents to be aware of "keeping the weeds away" and also to do a lot of communicating with their children, as age appropriate, about what constitutes weeds and why. :)
Best wishes, Laura
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