I had a chance to interview Matthew Boyd, author of a series of children’s books. Boyd wrote the books just to bring fun and enjoyment in children’s lives. He believes that children are not given enough time to be children.
In what ways to parents sometimes rush their children's childhood?
Parents want the best for their children and that means an excellent education to allow them to compete in this everchanging world. As a result, we as parents start teaching them very early in life now as we want our kids to be successful, and we realize how competitive education has become. So even before kids enter preschool, we are teaching them to read and count. It often seems from the moment they can walk we are trying to teach them and prepare them for school. The pressure on parents in this technology driven age is intense to see their children succeed. It seems that so much revolves around educating our children that we often don’t give them time to be young and have fun. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to want to teach your children and get a jump on educating them. Enough cannot be said to commend parents in doing this but it is critical to make sure that the learning is fun. Even when they are in preschool or kindergarten the work should be fun and enjoyable, and not seen as typical homework or a chore. I really believe that it is critical for children, especially when they are very young to have fun, and be creative. At some point parents will wish their kids were small again and were back in the fun and innocent stage. That is why I tell fellow parents don’t rush past it.
Why is it important to preserve childhood?
Childhood is a truly special and unique time. Childhood should be a time where fun is the main objective. When else in your life will that be the main objective? I always have something to do for work, to fix at home, to pick up at the store, and it’s often a chore to just carve out a few minutes to have fun. When you’re a kid you don’t have that problem. I think it’s critical for kids to just have fun sometimes. When I was a kid that was drawing. It’s how I had fun. That and playing with GI Joe figures outside. Letting my imagination run has helped me ask silly and strange questions that for me are fun to answer, even as an adult. As a child with parents that encourage them they can learn to explore, play and even solve small problems by themselves. They will always be growing I just don’t want to rush them into being an adult too soon. And parents will miss those special times when their kids are young and worry free.
How can parents encourage the imagination and innocence of childhood?
As odd as it will sound it’s ok for your kids to be bored. Sometimes that is when a child’s imagination will start to take off. When they have to play or create a game on their own, they are using their imagination. When they bring you that game, play with them, take some turns and let them tell you the rules. It’s ok for them to have their own rules sometimes.
I also enjoy asking silly questions that don’t have a real answer. What do you think could be inside a rainbow? What do cows do when no-one is looking? These two questions lead to fun books for me. If nothing else they can make you laugh with how they think the world works. We want to educate and raise smart kids but it’s ok to let them have fun thoughts or answers. What’s more fun to believe that a rainbow has nothing inside because it’s light reflected off water creating a spectrum of color in the sky or that in each color there are animals of that color playing and having a wonderful time. I know one of those is true, but it’s ok for my kids to think the other one is and for me to encourage those thoughts. These are times to cherish and nurture our kid’s imagination and creativity.
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